Death at the Ballpark: More Than 2,000 Game-Related Fatalities of Players, Other Personnel and Spectators in Amateur and Professional Baseball, 1862-2014

by Robert M. Gorman, David Joseph Weeks

When we think of baseball, we think of sunny days and leisurely outings at the ballpark--rarely do thoughts of death come to mind. Yet during the game's history, hundreds of players, coaches and spectators have died while playing or watching the National Pastime. In its second edition, this ground-breaking study provides the known details for 150 years of game-related deaths, identifies contributing factors and discusses resulting changes to game rules, protective equipment, crowd control and stadium structures and grounds. Topics covered include pitched and batted-ball fatalities, weather and field condition accidents, structural failures, fatalities from violent or risky behavior and deaths from natural causes.

Genres: Baseball, Nonfiction, Sports

344 pages, Paperback

First published October 17, 2008

Reviews

[Graham Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Death at the Ballpark' must be one of the most esoteric sporting books ever published, and includes some macabre, yet fascinating anecdotes. Gorman and Weeks’s exhaustively researched book includes the familiar and famous fatalities through to the unfamiliar and obscure. These tales are often violent, grisly, and downright bizarre, which makes for a fascinating read. 'Death at the Ballpark' includes an array of interesting images and photographs as well as easy-to-use appendices listing every entry in chronological order, unconfirmed fatalities, and deaths that did not fit into the categories created by the authors.

[Fort Marmot · Rating 2 out of 5]

Written by Robert M. Gorman and David Weeks, Death at The Ballpark is a compilation of all 2,000 or so known fatalities that took place at some form of baseball game in the United States from 1869 onward.

The bulk of the book is just that, a macabre list of everyone who never got back from the ol' ball game. It sorts things by type of death (struck by pitch, struck by lightning, struck by pissed off opposing team member, etc.), whether they were a player, fan, or field personnel, and orders them all chronologically. The more interesting or elaborate deaths get a few paragrahs, but much of the book is a slog. I wanted to actually feel for most of these people. But there is only so much "John Smith, struck on head by pitch at random game in Anytown, Anystate on June 1, 1900" that a person can take before it all kinda glazes over. An occasional interesting insight such as how few women have died at baseball games or the sad fact that most baseball deaths in the late 20th and early 21st centuries are children popped into my mind to shake things up. However, I more often than not found myself feeling relief when the dates in the various chapters got past 1925 as that was a pretty reliable sign the chapter was nearly over.

I didn't want to dismiss this book completely. The authors make some great points about the need for more fan safety measures at Major League stadiums. They even maintain a blog to comment on more recent baseball safety incidents. Also, their respectful tone with regard to the indivuals listed, stating in the introduction that each death listed was a tragedy, provides a bit of a reminder of how fragile life is. Ultimately though, that tone disappears as the lists go on and on. The tragedies quickly become statistics.

I can't really recommend this book. If you happen to feel down, stay away, this book will not make you feel better. Baseball nerds might find it a little interesting, but the lists will drag on like a shitty rain delay of sadness.

[Debbie Maskus]

I expected this book to be a mystery set at the ballpark, I was very mistaken. Gorman and Weeks present an interesting book of all the tragedies from 1862 to 2014 at amateur and professional ballparks. Gorman and Weeks do a fabulous job in this second edition that has an acknowledgement, preface, introduction, table of contents, and index. All these literary tools enhanced the information within this book. Gorman and Weeks also provide an informative discourse on each type of accident or deliberate roughness by the players. I had never thought that baseball as being so tragic. Deaths to all ages and genders happens. The earlier accidents happened due to negligence of rules and health, and sometimes these accidents still occur. Gorman and Weeks show the hazards of baseball in a well written book.

[Donald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who knew there were so many ways to die on the ball field? Snakes, lightening, knives???
An interesting topic, and read, full of baseball's history, even if it is sort of the darker side of it. I am a big fan, and I'd only heard of the death of Ray Chapman! Cool pictures and amazing "old timey" illustrations too!
On the down side, for me, is that over 1/3 of this book is "Appendix A" through the "Index", showing that it is indeed "exhaustively researched", but that third is not what I consider reading material, per se. Sort of like a scholarly journal, or a bound group of newspaper obituaries, more than a story book.
Also, on a personal note, a bit of a scary read for me as my daughter begins her softball career! Yikes! I'm glad we've come a long way from the inflatable helmets!

[Nate Hendrix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. Much of it is lists of people and how they died. Kind of depressing how many are kids. If you get past that it's cool to read about baseball in the late 1800s and early 20th century.

[Rebekah · Rating 2 out of 5]

A thoroughly researched, very dry cataloguing of baseball related deaths between 1862-2007.

[FSU Alumni]

Robert M. Gorman (B.A. '71)