Like most tort cases, it begins with a tragic accident: The pitcher at an American Legion baseball game was killed by a line drive to the head.

FORBES: Montana Court Says Pitcher Needed Warning About Aluminum Bat

Finding his groove as a short relief pitcher, Rivera has been blowing away American League hitters for 13 years and counting.

FORBES: Magazine Article

On Twitter, Glenn Stout, editor of the august Best American Sports Writing series, brought up Ray Chapman, the Major League Baseball pitcher who died after being felled by a batted ball.

FORBES: The San Francisco 49ers And The Baltimore Ravens Will Meet In The Super Bowl: The Storylines

The most comparable pitcher to Sale is probably Jack McDowell, the 180-pound righty who won the American League Cy Young Award for the White Sox in 1993.

WSJ: Chris Sale: Baseball's Greatest Metabolism