Carl Mays - Mansfield, MO - Citizen Memorials on Waymarking.com

The memorial looks to be made of iron, standing ten to twelve feet high, with a depiction of Carl Mays in the middle of his delivery, using the submarine pitch for which he was well-known. Mays is superimposed on a baseball, and below is his shadow. In the lower left corner is a dedication plate:

Dedicated
June 26, 2010

Thank You Sponsors
For Your Generosity

Engrave-A-Crete, Inc
Mansfield Chamber of Commerce
Peterson Gravel & Ready Mix
JD & Sons Complete Construction
Hutchins Industries

Thank you Artists & Craftsmen

Sherry Vanderstine
Stephen C. Lee
Darrel M. Adamson
Christopher A. Mirabel
Brandon M. Adamson
Ralph W. Dunbar
Duke Dunbar
Jason Walker
Jeanie Tredway
Jason R. Davis
Scott Ingerson
Troy S. Ladouceur

Crane and Rigging Crew
Larry Pulley, Billey Hayes, Danny Thurman
Keith Breeding, Danny Young, Jack Jackson

Finally, the memorial plate itself is below the iron structure:

Carl "Sub" Mays 1891-1971

Carl grew up in the Prairie Hollow community south of Mansfield.

Mays made his major league debut as a pitcher on April 15, 1915. His famous spitball submarine delivery resulted in a heavy, sinking effect that batters easily misjudged. He set a Boston team record from 1916 to 1918 for assists by a pitcher with more than 117 per season.

Mays was the first major league pitcher to achieve 20-win seasons in both the American League (Red Sox and Yankees) and the National League (Reds).

On August 30, 1918, Mays became the only Red Sox pitcher to throw two, nine-inning complete game victories on the same day.

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Unfortunately, there was a dark side to Carl Mays. Mays was known to protect the plate and throw inside to any batter who stood close to it. He also wasn't the most friendly guy in the world, and once even tangled with Ty Cobb, no saint himself, after Cobb complained about a close shave. Infamously, though, Mays protected the plate a little too much on August 16, 1920, beaning Ray Chapman in the head as a response to an earlier bunt attempt. The ball bounced into the field, and so loud was the sound of Chapman's skull breaking that Mays believed the pitch had hit Chapman's bat, and he fielded it and threw to first. Chapman was carried off the field and later died, the only person to die of an injury received during a game. An investigation ruled the incident an accident, but it wasn't long before the spitball, one of Mays's favorite pitches, was outlawed. Substances on the baseball could change the ball's behavior as it traveled to the plate, and combined with Mays's submarine delivery, Ray Chapman never really had a chance.

For Mays's part, his disposition, this incident, and allegations of possible game fixing in the 1921 World Series have essentially kept him from serious consideration for the Baseball Hall of Fame, despite superb numbers as a pitcher.

Website with more information on either the memorial or the person(s) it is dedicated to: [Web Link] Location: Mansfield Town Square

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