A well known Australian cricket player Phil Hughes died today after a tragic accident while he was batting a few days ago. He was hit on tbe back of his head from what is called a bouncer where the ball rises at head height to intimidate the batsman. As a cricket fan I am deeply sadened by the fact someone in the prime of his life at 25 years old has been taken away from us.
Has anyone been fatally injured in baseball? Sport is meant to be fun and competitive but things like this can happen still.

RIP

Baseball has seen their share - some in the minor leagues - some even in little league

One in an MLB game - Ray Chapman

Chapman was hit in the head by a pitch thrown by Yankees pitcher Carl Mays, and died 12 hours later. He remains the only Major League Baseball player to have died from an injury received at a major league baseball game. His death led to Major League Baseball establishing a rule requiring umpires to replace the ball whenever it became dirty, and it was partially the reason the spitball was banned after the 1920 season. Chapman's death was also one of the examples used to emphasize the need for wearing batting helmets (although the rule was not adopted until over 30 years later).

Not the result of an injury, but baseball fans will remember umpire John McSherry dropping dead of a heart attack just before the first pitch on Opening Day of the 1996 season, in Cincinnati.

Yeah, I saw this on CNN International. Terrible tragedy.

Rick A.

RIP. Awful.

Jeez that's terrible. RIP.

Carl Mays was remorseless about hitting Chapman and was disliked by most of baseball (not enough to keep him from pitching, naturally), never making the hall of fame. Not the case here, as Sean Abbott is visibly crushed and being heavily supported by his peers. I hope that he doesn't suffer too terribly for what was a tragic accident.

RIP - so sad to die like that, never a chance to see it coming, getting hit from behind. As a player, his reflexes were probably pretty good. If only he had been looking that way.