September 2, 2026 • 7 mins
On this episode of Our American Stories, on August 24, 1919, Cleveland Indians pitcher Ray Caldwell made his debut at League Park before a crowd of 20,000. In the ninth inning, with victory in sight, lightning suddenly struck the field and Caldwell himself. Fans thought he had been killed. Instead, moments later, he stood up, shook it off, and finished the game. It remains one of the most astonishing moments in Major League Baseball history.
Nick Ragone, host of This Date in History, shares the story of how Ray Caldwell survived a lightning strike and kept pitching.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
This is Lee Habib, and this is Our American Stories,
the show where America is the star and the American people.
And to search for the Our American Stories podcast, go
to the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Our next story comes to us from Nick Ragone, host
of the popular YouTube channel This Date in History. with
(00:31):
Nick Burgone.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Ray Caldwell put.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
On a Cleveland Indian uniform for the first time, and
none of the 20,000 fans at League Park had any
idea that they were about to see something that defies belief.
Let's take a listen.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
If you're a baseball fan, you're probably familiar with the
term electric stuff to describe a pitcher who is on
top of his game. Growing up in the 80s, it
seemed like Dwight Gooden, Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, and other
flamethrowers had their electric stuff every night. But what if
I told you that the term actually originated in the
early part of the 20th century? That it wasn't really
used to describe a pitcher's throwing prowess, but rather traces
(01:10):
its origins to one of the strangest events in Major
League Baseball history. Heck, one of the strangest events in
sports history. It was August 24th, 1919, and by all
accounts an uncomfortably muggy day at League Park in Cleveland.
The first place Indians were hosting the Philadelphia Athletics in
front of 20,000 fans. They were excited to see their
new pitcher, the journeyman Ray Caldwell, who was recently let
(01:33):
go by the Boston Red Sox. Once upon a time,
Caldwell had been regarded as a generational talent. One of
those guys with transcendent stuff that screamed can't miss potential.
But years of hard drinking and erratic behavior had left
him a shell of his former self. By 1921, Caldwell
Caldwell was desperate for a last chance to show that
(01:54):
he could still play the game. He no longer had
his dominant fastball on nasty curve, but he did sport
one of the game's best spitballs, which in 1919 was
still legal. On this particular afternoon, he had total command
of his spitter. The athletic players were flummoxed by the
way it bobbed and weaved through the air, impervious to contact.
(02:15):
A combination of the bright sunshine and saliva-ridden ball had
resulted in just four base runners for the A's through
the first eight innings, giving the Indians a slim one-run
lead heading into the top of the ninth inning. Fans
would later say that they noticed dark clouds that seemingly
materialized out of Lake Erie and descend upon the stadium
with alarming speed, practically enveloping it. With droplets of rain
(02:38):
beginning to sprinkle from the heavens, Caldwell worked extra fast,
hoping to avoid a rain delay. He quickly got ahead
of the first batter and induced a meek pop-up to
the shortstop for out number one. A nasty spitter resulted
in a second infield pop-up, and Caldwell and the Indians
were now one out from putting the A's away. By
(02:58):
this time, the wind was howling. It's as if the
stadium was mired in a total eclipse had become so dark.
Some fans had already scattered from League Park, a combination
of the rain and sense of foreboding chasing them away.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
So picture this.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Caldwell is towing the rubber and leaning in to get
the sign when a flash from the sky explodes into
the middle of the field. Indian shortstop Ray Chapman would
later say he felt a surge of electricity go down
his leg and the violence of the lightning strike causes
the players to dive for the ground.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
I took my metal mask and threw it as far
as I could.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Said Cleveland's catcher Steve O'Neill after the game. I didn't
want to attract any bolts towards me. Seconds after the
lightning hit the ground, The players were still staring at
each other in disbelief. On the mound lay Ray Caldwell,
arms spread wide, completely unconscious.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
The lightning bolt had struck him directly.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Players rushed to aid Caldwell, but the first man who
touched him leapt into the air, saying he had been
zapped by Caldwell's prone body. The players and ump stared
over Caldwell, his chest smoldering from where the bolt burned it.
Shortstop Ray Chapman blurted out to nobody in particular, Is
he dead? The players were terrified to touch him, to
(04:17):
even take his pulse. Nobody knew what to do. Believe
it or not, they were ready to pronounce Caldwell dead
when the 31-year-old pitcher started groaning and crawled back to
his knees and then his feet. His teammates were thrilled
to see him alive, but they kept their distance from
the guy whose chest was on fire just minutes before.
(04:37):
One of the umpires offered to assist him off the
field and take him to a hospital, but Caldwell would
have none of it. I have one more out to get,
he testily barked at the ump. He argued the point
with the Indians' player manager, the legendary Tris Beaker, and
his intransigence won the day, as Beaker reluctantly let him
stay on the field to try and record the final out.
(04:59):
Give me the dang ball and point me towards the plate,
he commanded shortstop Ray Chapman, who was still in semi-disbelief
that Caldwell was alive and pitching. The umpires lingered around
the mound as the players slowly took their positions. A
shortstop Joe Dugan dug into the batter's box, waiting for
the umps to signal play ball. The umps just look
(05:20):
at each other for an extra beat and shrug their shoulders.
Play ball, one of them says. By this time, most
of the fans had scattered in the chaos of the
lightning strike, but for the few hardy souls who stuck around,
they're about to witness the conclusion of the strangest game
in Major League history. With the first pitch, Caldwell grooves
a fastball to Dugan, who hits a screaming line drive
(05:42):
to third baseman Willie Gardner, who knocks it down with
his chest and rushes a throw to first just in
time to edge out Dugan.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
And with that, Ray Caldwell.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
In his first start as a Cleveland Indian, pitches a
complete game victory, which includes being struck by lightning.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
With the media after the game, Ray.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Caldwell was as curt as he was brief. I just
wanted to complete the game, he hurriedly told reporters as
he rushed from the clubhouse, purportedly to hit his favorite
watering hole. As if this story isn't fascinating enough, there's
an interesting footnote, actually two footnotes. 17 days after being
struck by lightning, Ray Caldwell would pitch a no-hitter against
(06:26):
one of his former teams, the New York Yankees. Someone
on his team jokingly told the media after the game
that he had electric stuff that day, and the term stuck.
His stuff would remain electric for the rest of the
year as he went 5-1 with the Indians and nearly
led them past the White Sox, who would famously go
on to throw the World Series. The following year, he
(06:48):
matched a 20-win season. Sadly, that would be the same
year that the Indian shortstop Ray Chapman tragically died after
being beamed in the head by the Yankees' Carl Mays.
His death prompted several rules changes, including banning the spitball
and requiring dirty balls to come out of play. So
the next time you hear some pitcher has electric stub,
(07:10):
just remember, he's no Ray Caldwell.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
And a terrific job on the production, editing, and storytelling
by our own Greg Hengler. And a special thanks to
Nick Ragone. And he hosts the popular YouTube channel, This
Date in History, with Nick Ragone. The story of Ray Caldwell,
here on Our American Story. This is Lee Habib, and
(07:36):
this is Our American Stories. And all of our history
stories are brought to us by our generous sponsors, including
Hillsdale College, where students go to learn all the things
that are beautiful in life and all the things that
matter in life. If you can't get to Hillsdale, Hillsdale
will come to you. Go to hillsdale.edu. That's hillsdale.edu.
This is Lee Habib, and this is Our American Stories,
the show where America is the star and the American people.
And to search for the Our American Stories podcast, go
to the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Our next story comes to us from Nick Ragone, host
of the popular YouTube channel This Date in History. with
(00:31):
Nick Burgone.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Ray Caldwell put.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
On a Cleveland Indian uniform for the first time, and
none of the 20,000 fans at League Park had any
idea that they were about to see something that defies belief.
Let's take a listen.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
If you're a baseball fan, you're probably familiar with the
term electric stuff to describe a pitcher who is on
top of his game. Growing up in the 80s, it
seemed like Dwight Gooden, Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, and other
flamethrowers had their electric stuff every night. But what if
I told you that the term actually originated in the
early part of the 20th century? That it wasn't really
used to describe a pitcher's throwing prowess, but rather traces
(01:10):
its origins to one of the strangest events in Major
League Baseball history. Heck, one of the strangest events in
sports history. It was August 24th, 1919, and by all
accounts an uncomfortably muggy day at League Park in Cleveland.
The first place Indians were hosting the Philadelphia Athletics in
front of 20,000 fans. They were excited to see their
new pitcher, the journeyman Ray Caldwell, who was recently let
(01:33):
go by the Boston Red Sox. Once upon a time,
Caldwell had been regarded as a generational talent. One of
those guys with transcendent stuff that screamed can't miss potential.
But years of hard drinking and erratic behavior had left
him a shell of his former self. By 1921, Caldwell
Caldwell was desperate for a last chance to show that
(01:54):
he could still play the game. He no longer had
his dominant fastball on nasty curve, but he did sport
one of the game's best spitballs, which in 1919 was
still legal. On this particular afternoon, he had total command
of his spitter. The athletic players were flummoxed by the
way it bobbed and weaved through the air, impervious to contact.
(02:15):
A combination of the bright sunshine and saliva-ridden ball had
resulted in just four base runners for the A's through
the first eight innings, giving the Indians a slim one-run
lead heading into the top of the ninth inning. Fans
would later say that they noticed dark clouds that seemingly
materialized out of Lake Erie and descend upon the stadium
with alarming speed, practically enveloping it. With droplets of rain
(02:38):
beginning to sprinkle from the heavens, Caldwell worked extra fast,
hoping to avoid a rain delay. He quickly got ahead
of the first batter and induced a meek pop-up to
the shortstop for out number one. A nasty spitter resulted
in a second infield pop-up, and Caldwell and the Indians
were now one out from putting the A's away. By
(02:58):
this time, the wind was howling. It's as if the
stadium was mired in a total eclipse had become so dark.
Some fans had already scattered from League Park, a combination
of the rain and sense of foreboding chasing them away.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
So picture this.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Caldwell is towing the rubber and leaning in to get
the sign when a flash from the sky explodes into
the middle of the field. Indian shortstop Ray Chapman would
later say he felt a surge of electricity go down
his leg and the violence of the lightning strike causes
the players to dive for the ground.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
I took my metal mask and threw it as far
as I could.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Said Cleveland's catcher Steve O'Neill after the game. I didn't
want to attract any bolts towards me. Seconds after the
lightning hit the ground, The players were still staring at
each other in disbelief. On the mound lay Ray Caldwell,
arms spread wide, completely unconscious.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
The lightning bolt had struck him directly.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Players rushed to aid Caldwell, but the first man who
touched him leapt into the air, saying he had been
zapped by Caldwell's prone body. The players and ump stared
over Caldwell, his chest smoldering from where the bolt burned it.
Shortstop Ray Chapman blurted out to nobody in particular, Is
he dead? The players were terrified to touch him, to
(04:17):
even take his pulse. Nobody knew what to do. Believe
it or not, they were ready to pronounce Caldwell dead
when the 31-year-old pitcher started groaning and crawled back to
his knees and then his feet. His teammates were thrilled
to see him alive, but they kept their distance from
the guy whose chest was on fire just minutes before.
(04:37):
One of the umpires offered to assist him off the
field and take him to a hospital, but Caldwell would
have none of it. I have one more out to get,
he testily barked at the ump. He argued the point
with the Indians' player manager, the legendary Tris Beaker, and
his intransigence won the day, as Beaker reluctantly let him
stay on the field to try and record the final out.
(04:59):
Give me the dang ball and point me towards the plate,
he commanded shortstop Ray Chapman, who was still in semi-disbelief
that Caldwell was alive and pitching. The umpires lingered around
the mound as the players slowly took their positions. A
shortstop Joe Dugan dug into the batter's box, waiting for
the umps to signal play ball. The umps just look
(05:20):
at each other for an extra beat and shrug their shoulders.
Play ball, one of them says. By this time, most
of the fans had scattered in the chaos of the
lightning strike, but for the few hardy souls who stuck around,
they're about to witness the conclusion of the strangest game
in Major League history. With the first pitch, Caldwell grooves
a fastball to Dugan, who hits a screaming line drive
(05:42):
to third baseman Willie Gardner, who knocks it down with
his chest and rushes a throw to first just in
time to edge out Dugan.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
And with that, Ray Caldwell.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
In his first start as a Cleveland Indian, pitches a
complete game victory, which includes being struck by lightning.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
With the media after the game, Ray.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Caldwell was as curt as he was brief. I just
wanted to complete the game, he hurriedly told reporters as
he rushed from the clubhouse, purportedly to hit his favorite
watering hole. As if this story isn't fascinating enough, there's
an interesting footnote, actually two footnotes. 17 days after being
struck by lightning, Ray Caldwell would pitch a no-hitter against
(06:26):
one of his former teams, the New York Yankees. Someone
on his team jokingly told the media after the game
that he had electric stuff that day, and the term stuck.
His stuff would remain electric for the rest of the
year as he went 5-1 with the Indians and nearly
led them past the White Sox, who would famously go
on to throw the World Series. The following year, he
(06:48):
matched a 20-win season. Sadly, that would be the same
year that the Indian shortstop Ray Chapman tragically died after
being beamed in the head by the Yankees' Carl Mays.
His death prompted several rules changes, including banning the spitball
and requiring dirty balls to come out of play. So
the next time you hear some pitcher has electric stub,
(07:10):
just remember, he's no Ray Caldwell.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
And a terrific job on the production, editing, and storytelling
by our own Greg Hengler. And a special thanks to
Nick Ragone. And he hosts the popular YouTube channel, This
Date in History, with Nick Ragone. The story of Ray Caldwell,
here on Our American Story. This is Lee Habib, and
(07:36):
this is Our American Stories. And all of our history
stories are brought to us by our generous sponsors, including
Hillsdale College, where students go to learn all the things
that are beautiful in life and all the things that
matter in life. If you can't get to Hillsdale, Hillsdale
will come to you. Go to hillsdale.edu. That's hillsdale.edu.
Host
Lee Habeeb
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