As a player and manager for the New York Yankees, Billy Martin won five World Series. During his time with other franchises, he was known for his aggressive style of play that affectionately became known as “Billyball.” However, as Britannica points out, Martin’s abrasive style in the face of management would lead to his dismissal as the manager for every team he coached.

Martin’s troubles began as a player. Despite being the World Series MVP, following a highly publicized fight at the Copacabana, the Yankees traded Martin, believing he was a bad influence on Mickey Mantle. After his playing days, Martin spent almost a decade working in the Minnesota Twins organization before being promoted to manager in 1969. He lasted one year. Despite a postseason appearance by Minnesota, Martin got into a fight with one of his players, leaving the player with stitches, as told by Bleacher Report.

This was the story of Billy Martin. He had a brilliant mind for baseball … and a temper. He won the 1977 World Series with the New York Yankees and was forced to resign in the middle of the next season for calling out his star player Reggie Jackson and team owner George Steinbrenner. On Christmas Day in 1989, Martin died in a single-car accident. His friend, Bill Reedy, had a blood-alcohol level of .10, though conflicting information from Reedy has left the driver a mystery.

According to Sports History Today, during his nine professional seasons, Ray Chapman was on his way to a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1920, Chapman was one of the best players in the Cleveland Indians. Tragically, Chapman never made it to the Fall Classic. During an August game, Chapman changed the history of the sport by becoming the only player in the game’s history to die from a thrown pitch.

According to the Society for American Baseball Research, Cleveland, the New York Yankees, and the Chicago White Sox were all battling for the AL Pennant. In mid-August, the three teams were within two games of each other when Cleveland and New York squared off. In the fifth inning, Yankees pitcher Carl Mays, known for his spitball, faced Chapman. Mays’ pitch hit Chapman in the head, dropping him. The umpire immediately called for physicians. Chapman was able to get to his feet, but after he’d been helped off the field to the clubhouse, he lost consciousness. Cleveland won the game, but by the next morning, Chapman would be pronounced dead.

Despite calls to have Mays banned from the sport, he received no punishment. Mays was apologetic, said the ball was wet and sailed on him, and called the pitch “the most regrettable incident of [his] baseball career.” Bleacher Report says Cleveland, motivated by Chapman’s death, took the pennant and the championship. To prevent another incident like Chapman’s death, the MLB banned the spitball and mandated that umpires replace dirty balls.

Two statements are true about Lou Gehrig: He was one of the greatest players in baseball history, and he is more well-known for the disease that took his life. Gehrig, despite being a Hall of Famer himself, was overshadowed by his two more famous teammates during his playing career.

According to Biography, though Gehrig’s first decade in the league saw him as one of the best offensive players in the game, he was overshadowed by his teammate Babe Ruth. The pair, polar opposite in terms of personality, according to Sportscentury, became baseball’s most dangerous hitting duo. While Ruth was boisterous, Gehrig was quiet and unassuming and had a blue-collar work ethic that led to him setting a then-record for playing 2,130 consecutive games, earning him the nickname “The Iron Horse.” A year after Ruth’s departure, the Yankees brought up a young, rookie outfielder from the West Coast who would then eclipse the now-solo Gehrig as well: Joe DiMaggio.

As told by PBS, Gehrig, unlike many stars dealing with a young rookie getting attention, supported DiMaggio. Gehrig did not crave the spotlight and lacked confidence despite his abilities. His biographer, Ray Robinson, recalled Gehrig believing each time at bat could have been his last. DiMaggio appreciated this and stood with the rest of the Yankees when Gehrig was forced to end his streak and eventually retire in 1939 due to ALS. Gehrig died two years later. 

While the name Glenn Burke may not be as well-known in sports as the other players on this list, Burke had more impact in everyday life through two non-baseball acts. In 1977, after teammate Dusty Baker hit a home run, the rookie Burke slapped the palm of Baker’s hand, inventing the high five. Burke’s legacy and impact are also felt outside of the celebratory gesture by virtue of being the first openly gay individual to play professional baseball.

According to Call to the Pen, Burke’s career was very affected by this. While he wasn’t out to the public, it was an open secret among his teammates and the rest of baseball. As a highly touted prospect with the Dodgers, Burke’s fellow players accepted him more than management, who wanted him to marry a woman to quell the rumors. Burke’s end in Los Angeles came when he befriended the son of Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda. His son, Tommy Lasorda Jr., was also gay, but Lasorda did not want to accept his son’s sexuality and traded Burke to Oakland.

With the Athletics, he faced more homophobia, especially from his manager, Billy Martin. According to Beyond Chron, after being demoted to the minor leagues and suffering a knee injury, as well as feeling frustration with the sport, Burke retired. In 1982, he came out publicly, as told by NBC Sports. Unfortunately, like many members of the LGBT community, Burke passed away from AIDS in 1995.

From the smooth swing to the backward hat, it’s easy to see why Ken Griffey Jr. became the face of baseball in the 1990s. The son of a former baseball superstar and the first overall pick in the 1987 MLB Draft, Griffey was destined for greatness, as told by Sportscasting. However, Griffey’s career, and life, almost ended long before he ever stepped onto a major league field.

According to The Seattle Times, Griffey was already a professional ball player at 17, and he was struggling away from home. In addition to the stress of being a professional athlete, he faced racial prejudice he had not experienced growing up, and both internal and external pressure weighed heavy on his shoulders. “It seemed like everyone was yelling at me in baseball, then I came home and everyone was yelling at me there,” he said.

In January 1988, the young baseball player took, by his own count, 277 aspirin pills. He was rushed to the hospital to have his stomach pumped. Junior’s father, All-Star outfielder Ken Griffey Sr., arrived at the hospital angry at his son. During their argument, Junior, in frustration toward his father, ripped out his IV, ending the argument. Senior recalled, “It made me realize kids have their own set of problems and pressures.” The next year, Ken Griffey Jr. played his first season of what would become a Hall of Fame career.

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