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Playing for Their Nation: Baseball and the American Military during World War II
Just two months after the magical baseball season of 1941, the United States entered World War II, and baseball, like other American institutions, was called upon to sacrifice and serve in the war effort. Utilizing personal accounts, military documents, and newspaper sources, Playing for Their Nation provides the first in-depth analysis of the development of military baseball during the Second World War. Steven R. Bullock describes how virtually every significant American military installation around the world boasted formal baseball teams and leagues designed to soothe the anxieties of combatants and prepare them physically for battle. Officials also sponsored hundreds of exhibition contests involving military and civilian teams and tours by major league stars to entertain servicemen and elevate their spirits.
Fund-raising by the Major Leagues proved remarkably successful in the encouragement of war bond sales and in donations of equipment for military teams. By the end of the war, more than ninety percent of the players on prewar Major League rosters served in the armed forces, and Bullock relates the wartime experiences of the players, such as Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams. Also provided is the statistical analysis of the negative impact of the war on the careers of Major League players in terms of their reduced productivity and shortened careers.
Proving itself to be much more than a game, baseball offered comfort and pride to a military, and a nation, gripped by war.
Fund-raising by the Major Leagues proved remarkably successful in the encouragement of war bond sales and in donations of equipment for military teams. By the end of the war, more than ninety percent of the players on prewar Major League rosters served in the armed forces, and Bullock relates the wartime experiences of the players, such as Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams. Also provided is the statistical analysis of the negative impact of the war on the careers of Major League players in terms of their reduced productivity and shortened careers.
Proving itself to be much more than a game, baseball offered comfort and pride to a military, and a nation, gripped by war.
184 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2004
18 people want to read
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October 31, 2012
Playing for Their Nation: Baseball and the American Military during World War II is a recent summary of the topic that deals with baseball’s influence in the military during World War II. Written by Steven R. Bullock and published by the University of Nebraska Press in 2004, the book attempts to explain the role that baseball played in the military as a boost in morale for those in the service. Bullock’s purpose is to show the positive relationship between baseball and the military during the war.
Bullock separated the book into six chapters and organized it by topic. The first Chapter deals with baseball as a morale builder in the military and shows the prevalence of the game inside of the military both at home and abroad. Next, He details the way that baseball became a fundraising entity for the war effort by giving monetary support through donations of money and equipment as well as increasing the sale of war bonds. The third and fourth chapters can be categorized together as they deal specifically with baseball inside of the military. Chapter 3 gives examples of those who promoted and organized the game, and Chapter 4 discusses the teams that were the most successful. Finally, the last two chapters connect baseball, especially Major League Baseball, and the military during the war. Chapter 5 gives the various examples of the stars of the game becoming servicemen and of their experiences in the military as well as those who were lesser-known showing the wide array of Major League players who joined the effort. Finally, the book concludes with a theoretical analysis of what could have been for the players who gave their time to serve their country, concluding that some would have reached major milestones and that some would have had Hall of Fame careers if not for the war.
In Playing for Their Nation, Bullock organizes the topic rationally, and writes in clear and interesting tone. He uses a sufficient amount of examples to show and prove his point for each topic that he addresses. Because of the sheer abundance of examples that he uses, he is very persuasive as he attempts to show the effect of World War II on the game of baseball as well as the game’s effect on the war. His two pronged approach works well when trying to explain the relationship that baseball had with the military. Bullock extensively uses both primary and secondary sources to tell many stories of those who participated and were effected by the game. He cites hundreds of different sources throughout his work and uses a wide array of magazines, newspapers, questionnaires, and interviews. He also uses secondary sources from the better-known baseball historians such as Gary Bedingfield and William Mead.
One thing that Bullock mentions only slightly is the condescension that the game faced when it came to continuing baseball after the United States officially joined the war. Although he mentions it, he seems to set it aside as the opinion of a small minority. The book at times seems redundant due to the long lists of similar examples, thus oversimplifying some of his key points.
Playing for Their Nation does indeed contribute to the topic of World War II baseball. Bullock takes a different vantage point than many writers who only focus on the effect that it had on the home front, where it affected morale of the public and the talent that Major League Baseball lost to the war. He takes a different approach to the talent issue by showing how it benefited the military by allowing the stars to play next to an ordinary serviceman.
Bullock separated the book into six chapters and organized it by topic. The first Chapter deals with baseball as a morale builder in the military and shows the prevalence of the game inside of the military both at home and abroad. Next, He details the way that baseball became a fundraising entity for the war effort by giving monetary support through donations of money and equipment as well as increasing the sale of war bonds. The third and fourth chapters can be categorized together as they deal specifically with baseball inside of the military. Chapter 3 gives examples of those who promoted and organized the game, and Chapter 4 discusses the teams that were the most successful. Finally, the last two chapters connect baseball, especially Major League Baseball, and the military during the war. Chapter 5 gives the various examples of the stars of the game becoming servicemen and of their experiences in the military as well as those who were lesser-known showing the wide array of Major League players who joined the effort. Finally, the book concludes with a theoretical analysis of what could have been for the players who gave their time to serve their country, concluding that some would have reached major milestones and that some would have had Hall of Fame careers if not for the war.
In Playing for Their Nation, Bullock organizes the topic rationally, and writes in clear and interesting tone. He uses a sufficient amount of examples to show and prove his point for each topic that he addresses. Because of the sheer abundance of examples that he uses, he is very persuasive as he attempts to show the effect of World War II on the game of baseball as well as the game’s effect on the war. His two pronged approach works well when trying to explain the relationship that baseball had with the military. Bullock extensively uses both primary and secondary sources to tell many stories of those who participated and were effected by the game. He cites hundreds of different sources throughout his work and uses a wide array of magazines, newspapers, questionnaires, and interviews. He also uses secondary sources from the better-known baseball historians such as Gary Bedingfield and William Mead.
One thing that Bullock mentions only slightly is the condescension that the game faced when it came to continuing baseball after the United States officially joined the war. Although he mentions it, he seems to set it aside as the opinion of a small minority. The book at times seems redundant due to the long lists of similar examples, thus oversimplifying some of his key points.
Playing for Their Nation does indeed contribute to the topic of World War II baseball. Bullock takes a different vantage point than many writers who only focus on the effect that it had on the home front, where it affected morale of the public and the talent that Major League Baseball lost to the war. He takes a different approach to the talent issue by showing how it benefited the military by allowing the stars to play next to an ordinary serviceman.
Displaying 1 of 1 review