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Carl Mays Believed Rogers Hornsby Was a Baseball God
The former pitcher was a star MLB player himself but believed there was nobody better than the Hall-of-Famer
Right-handed pitcher Carl Mays had few peers on the mound. Although he didn’t make the Hall of Fame, he came pretty darned close with what he accomplished in his 15 seasons in the big leagues. Therefore, it’s a fair assertion to say that he knew hitters, and by his estimation nobody could equal Rogers Hornsby, who he believed was a veritable god when it came to swinging a bat.
Although Mays had a reputation for surliness, being pleasant had no impact on being an effective pitcher. Playing for four teams between 1915–1929, the submariner was a combined 207–126 with a 2.92 ERA and 29 shutouts. Even though he won 20 or more games on five different occasions, including a high of 27 in 1921 with the New York Yankees, he is best known for his part in an accidental tragedy. In 1920, he struck Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman in the temple with a pitch and the stricken infielder died shortly thereafter of his injuries — still the only player to die from a game-caused injury in Major League Baseball history.
Mays played during a fruitful time for baseball greats. Facing the likes of Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb, he tested his mettle…
