I love baseball. I love American history. Recently I read something that combined the two. Many baseball players walked away from their careers to serve in World War 2.
On December 8, 1941, the day after Pearl Harbor was attacked, Bob Feller, arguably the best pitcher in baseball at the time, walked into a recruiting office to volunteer for the US Navy. He was the first of many pro baseball players who signed up, including such famous names as Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, and Stan Musial.
If potential statistics for what some of these men would have done had they not gone off to war are added to their career totals, the numbers can be stunning. Makes singing the national anthem at the beginning of a baseball game take on added significance, doesn't it?
By the way, Bob Feller became a gun captain aboard the USS Alabama. He was decorated with five campaign ribbons and eight battle stars. Play ball!!
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