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6. What Might Have Been: The Impact of World War II on the Careers of Major Leaguers
- University of Nebraska Press
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In December 1941, the outbreak of World War II wrought drastic changes in nearly all sectors of American society as the nation mobilized toward global conflict. This was particularly true in the realm of Major League Baseball, where over 90 percent of all players active in 1941 eventually served. The majority of Major Leaguers in the American military lost between one and four years of their baseball careers, an interruption that often proved devastating for their abilities to perform on the diamond. Although a small number of players endured debilitating injuries or illnesses, the primary impact of the war on players was simply the abbreviation and curtailment of their careers. For most occupations, a hiatus of a few years is relatively insignificant. However, the brevity of the period during which the typical professional ball player’s skills are at their physical and mental peak magni- fies any career interruption. Inevitably, the years the war era’s players missed because of the conflict have led to unending speculation about what “might have been” on the diamond if historical fate had not intervened. Although a comprehensive anecdotal and statistical account of warera players’ performances after they returned home would be quite lengthy, a review of some of the most dominant offensive players’ numbers is illustrative. Although it is impossible to precisely project career statistics for players who spent substantial time in the armed forces, one can reach general conclusions by analyzing trends in players’ performances before the outbreak of World War II. Joe DiMaggio and 126 Chapter 6 What Might Have Been The Impact of World War II on the Careers of Major Leaguers Hank Greenberg, for example, both probably would have exceeded five hundred home runs and two thousand rbis if not for their time in the military. DiMaggio’s situation is quite fascinating primarily because there was such a disparity between his pre- and postwar offensive numbers. In his seven seasons before his induction, for example, DiMaggio never accumulated less than 114 rbis in any single campaign and regularly had a slugging percentage over .600. Following his return, the Yankee center fielder drove in more than one hundred runs only twice in the six seasons before his retirement and never again slugged over .600. Also, whereas virtually every one of his prewar seasons were truly exceptional, only DiMaggio’s 1948 year can be compared favorably to any his seasons before his 1942 departure for military service. Despite this relative decline after his military service, most students of the game nevertheless recognize Joe DiMaggio as one of the greatest players in history. In contrast, DiMaggio’s contemporary and annual rival for batting superiority in the American League, Hank Greenberg has traditionally been denied such accolades. This is partially attributable to the fact that he played in relative obscurity in Detroit rather than enjoying the spotlight and media attention of DiMaggio’s New York. In addition, Greenberg was also the first true Jewish baseball star at a time when anti-Semitism was not unfashionable, especially in Detroit where Henry Ford and Father Coughlin set the tone for such ugly sentiment. Although Greenberg was never one to complain about mistreatment, others noted that he endured merciless harassment from opposing players and fans throughout his career. This included intentional attempts to injure him and verbal barbs such as, “Throw him a pork chop, he’ll never hit it.” Despite the physical attacks and unsavory comments, Greenberg was arguably the most dominant offensive player in the game and certainly among the five best hitters in baseball during the four years before he began his stint in the Army. The Tiger star then spent nearly five complete seasons away from the diamond at a time when his offensive numbers were at their apex. With an average no lower than .312 in the four years before his military service, Greenberg led the league in home runs twice, rbis twice, and slugging percentage once. In those same four years, he also won the American League’s Most Valuable Player award once and finished third on two other occasions despite almost certainly being hinwhat might have been 127 [52.205.218.160] Project MUSE (2024-03-19 08:36 GMT) dered by the anti-Semitism of a number of the writers who voted on the award. Once Greenberg returned from his nearly five-year absence , he did enjoy brief periods of stellar play, but he never fully regained his prewar brilliance and was out of professional...