This is a book about baseball’s true “replacement players.”
During the four seasons the U.S. was at war in World War II (1942-1945), 533 players made their major-league debuts. There were 67 first-time major leaguers under the age of 21 (Joe Nuxhall the youngest at 15 in 1944). More than 60 percent of the players in the 1941 Opening Day lineups departed for the service. The 1944 Dodgers had only Dixie Walker and Mickey Owen as the two regulars from their 1941 pennant-winning team.
The owners brought in not only first-timers but also many oldsters. Hod Lisenbee pitched 80 innings for the Reds in 1945 at the age of 46. He had last pitched in the major leagues in 1936. War veteran and former POW Bert Shepard, with an artificial leg, pitched in one game for the 1945 Senators, and one-armed outfielder Pete Gray played for the St. Louis Browns.
The war years featured firsts and lasts. The St. Louis Browns won their first (and last) pennant in 1944 — a feat made more amazing by the fact that they had not finished in the first division since 1929. The 1944 team featured 13 players classified as 4-F. The Chicago Cubs appeared in the 1945 World Series but have not made it back since.
Some 53 members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) have contributed to this volume. We invite you to sit back and relax as you learn Who's on First?
Includes contributions by: Alan Cohen, Ashlie Christian And Armand Peterson, Bill Nowlin, Bob Brady, Bob Lemoine, Bob Mayer, Bob Webster, Charles Faber, Charlie Weatherby, Chris Rainey, Cort Vitty, David Finoli, David M. Jordan, David Raglin And Barb Mantegani, David W. Pugh, Don Zminda, Duke Goldman, Greg Erion, Gregg Omoth, Gregory H. Wolf, J. G. Preston, James D. Smith, Iii, Jay Hurd, Jeff Marlett, Jeff Obermeyer, Jim Sweetman, Joanne Hulbert, John Shannahan, Leslie Heaphy, Lyle Spatz, Marc Lancaster, Marc Z Aaron, Mark S. Sternman, Mel Marmer, Merrie A. Fidler, Michael Huber, Michael Huber And Rachel Hamelers, Mike Mcclary, Peter C. Bjarkman, Rex Hamann, Rich Bogovich, Richard Cuicchi, Richard Moraski, Rory Costello And Lou Hernández, Seamus Kearney, Sidney Davis, Steve Smith, Thomas Ayers, Tom Hawthorn, Walter Leconte
Table of Contents:
Introduction MARC Z AARON
The Business of Baseball
During World War II JEFF OBERMEYER
“But Where is Pearl Harbor?” Baseball and the Day the World Changed, December 7, 1941 BOB LEMOINE
The Tri-Cornered War Bond Baseball Game MICHAEL HUBER AND RACHEL HAMELERS
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Boston Braves
How the Boston Braves Survived the War But Lost the Battle for Boston BOB BRADY
Ben Cardoni BY MARK S. STERNMAN
Buck Etchison BY ALAN COHEN
Butch Nieman BY SIDNEY DAVIS
Mystery Member of the ‘45 Braves BOB BRADY
Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers in Wartime MICHAEL HUBER
John “Fats” D’Antonio RICHARD CUICCHI
Bill Hart BOB LEMOINE
Lee Pfund BOB WEBSTER
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs in Wartime THOMAS AYERS
Jorge Comellas RICH BOGOVICH
Billy Holm BILL NOWLIN
Walter Signer GREGORY H. WOLF
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds During World War II JAY HURD
Tomás de la Cruz PETER C. BJARKMAN
Buck Fausett J. G. PRESTON
Dick Sipek CHARLES FABER
New York Giants
The New York Giants in Wartime BOB MAYER
Al Gardella CHARLIE WEATHERBY
Frank Seward JEFF MARLETT
Roy Zimmerman JOANNE HULBERT
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies in Wartime SEAMUS KEARNEY
Chet Covington STEVE SMITH
Hilly Flitcraft JIM SWEETMAN
Lee Riley MEL MARMER
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates in Wartime DAVID FINOLI
Xavier Rescigno DAVID FINOLI
Len Gilmore DAVID FINOLI
Frankie Zak DAVID FINOLI
St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals in Wartime GREGORY H. WOLF
Jack Creel GREGORY H. WOLF
Gene Crumling GREGORY H. WOLF
Bob Keely GREGORY H. WOLF
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox in Wartime BILL NOWLIN
Otey Clark BILL NOWLIN
Ty LaForest BILL NOWLIN
Stan Partenheimer JOHN SHANNAHAN
The Frostbite League: Spring Training 1943 - 1945 BILL NOWLIN
The 1944 Red Sox: What Could Have Been DUKE GOLDMAN
Chicago White Sox
The White Sox in Wartime DON ZMINDA
Vince Castino DAVID RAGLIN AND BARB MANTEGANI
Guy Curtright DON ZMINDA
Floyd Speer REX HAMANN
Cleveland Indians
World War II and the Cleveland Indians DAVID W. PUGH
Otto Denning CHRIS RAINEY
Jim McDonnell ASHLIE CHRISTIAN AND ARMAND PETERSON
Mickey Rocco GREGG OMOTH
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers in Wartime MIKE MCCLARY
Chuck Hostetler MARC LANCASTER
Bobby Maier MARC LANCASTER
Charlie Metro TOM HAWTHORN
New York Yankees
The Yankees in Wartime MARC Z AARON
Joe Buzas MARC Z AARON
Mike Garbark MARC Z AARON
Bud Metheny MARC Z AARON
Philadelphia Athletics
The Wartime Philadelphia Athletics DAVID M. JORDAN
Orie Arntzen GREGORY H. WOLF
Jim Tyack ALAN COHEN
Woody Wheaton ALAN COHEN
St. Louis Browns
The St. Louis Browns in World War II GREG ERION
Milt Byrnes GREG ERION
Charley Fuchs GREG ERION
Pete Gray MEL MARMER
Washington Senators
The Washington Senators in Wartime RICHARD MORASKI
Ed Butka CORT VITTY
Jug Thesenga BOB LEMOINE
Tony Zardón RORY COSTELLO AND LOU HERNÁNDEZ
Senators Who Died in Combat RICHARD MORASKI
OTHER ESSAYS
The All-Star Games in the War Years LYLE SPATZ
Wartime Baseball: Minor Leagues, Major Changes (San Diego to Buffalo) JAMES D. SMITH, III
Impact of WWII on the Negro Leagues LESLIE HEAPHY
Baseball’s Women on the Field During WWII MERRIE A. FIDLER
In-season Exhibition Games During Wartime WALTER LECONTE
The Double Victory Campaign and the Campaign to Integrate Baseball DUKE GOLDMAN
