Key Takeaways

Major League Baseball continued its regular season, as Roosevelt's \"Green Light Letter\" suggested it was good for morale.
Famous players served differently; Joe DiMaggio entertained troops while Yogi Berra saw active combat as a gunner’s mate.
The post-war era saw ongoing integration, with Jackie Robinson becoming the first Black player in Major League Baseball.

From sitting in the stands with snacks, to cheering for a home run, from running the bases to catching a fly ball, baseball is beloved by spectators and players alike. Whether your ancestors were involved in Little League, attended Major League Baseball games, played professionally, or anything in between, athletes of all kinds—and viewers—have joined in on the fun for over 100 years.

But what happens when war breaks out? What does it mean for the sport of baseball when players are called to military service?

What Happened to Baseball When World War II Began?

The United States’ entry into World War II, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941, impacted all aspects of U.S. society. Hundreds of thousands of men were drafted into military service. Others volunteered to enlist. Husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons were separated from their families as they stepped in for service in the Army, Army Air Forces, Navy, Marines, or the Coast Guard. The non-military Merchant Marines were also asked to help with war efforts.

Professional baseball players were also subject to the draft. Many either enlisted or were drafted into service. Yet despite the absence of some professional baseball players who were engaged in military service during World War II, Major League Baseball continued its regular season. This approach differed from the World War I era, when regular season play was shortened. What prompted this change?

U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947; Ancestry.com

Baseball to Boost Morale and Business During Wartime

In January 1942, Major League Baseball’s Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis reached out to President Franklin D. Roosevelt to discuss what to do, now that the U.S. had officially entered the war. Should Major League games continue or be paused? Roosevelt responded with his famous “Green Light Letter,” which suggested that baseball was good for morale and that the spectator sport had recreational value for its fans.

Major league owners also sought to protect their business interests and maintain a high level of public interest in the game—to keep people attending games. Their marketing approach? To connect being a baseball fan with patriotism and promote baseball’s direct contributions to the war effort. You might notice this when you see newspaper articles highlighting players drafted into the military or who voluntarily enlisted in a specific branch of service.

Navy baseball team, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, 1944, U.S., African American Photo Collection, Ancestry.com

Famous Baseball Players and Their Role During WWII

Some of the most well-known baseball players in history either served in the military during World War II or used their celebrity status to support the nation during wartime. Here’s a glance at what some big-name sports stars did during World War II.

Jack Roosevelt “Jackie” Robinson was a college student at the University of California at Los Angeles when he was drafted into the Army. First stationed in an all-Black unit in Fort Riley, Kansas, he was later stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. Robinson actively participated in the “Double V” campaign, which fought against antisemitism in Germany and domestic racism in the U.S. While in Texas, he stood up to segregationist practices by refusing to sit in the back of a bus, which led to a military court-martial. Robinson was acquitted. Jackie Robinson served as a lieutenant in the Army—one of only a few African American officers. He was honorably discharged in November 1944.

Joseph Paul “Joe” DiMaggio enlisted in February 1943 and served in the Army Air Forces. Stationed at the Santa Ana Army Air Base in California and later in Hawaii, he never served in combat. Instead, DiMaggio was assigned to Special Services, where he played baseball for military teams to entertain troops and keep morale high. Joe DiMaggio was discharged as a captain in September 1945 after being diagnosed with stomach ulcers.

Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra joined the U.S. Navy in September 1943. He appears on muster rolls for multiple ships, including the USS Barnett (for temporary duty), the U.S.S. Bayfield, and the LST-494, which participated in the August 1944 Operation Dragoon in Southern France. Berra saw active combat in his role as a gunner’s mate and even received a hand injury due to enemy gunfire.

Babe Ruth had retired from baseball and was too old to serve in the military during WWII. However, he still stepped up to the plate by using his celebrity status to help raise funds for war relief efforts. For instance, he worked to raise funds for the Army-Navy Relief Fund and the American Red Cross. Ruth also visited military hospitals to meet with patients and staff.

Joseph P Dimaggio, U.S., World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938-1949, Ancestry.com

How Professional Baseball Changed after World War II

Before World War II, America's favorite pastime was a sport enjoyed by people across the U.S. However, most Black athletes found themselves barred from the highest levels of the sport, leading to the creation of separate Black leagues, including the first (of two) Negro National League, founded in 1920; the Eastern Colored League, formed in 1923; and the Negro American League established in 1937.

It wasn't until Jackie Robinson and Nate Moreland joined a workout with the Chicago White Sox in 1942 that the color line in baseball began to fall. After the 1944 death of Baseball Commissioner Landis, a staunch segregationist, discriminatory practices in the major leagues waned further. For example, the Brooklyn Dodgers and Boston Red Sox began accepting tryouts from Black players in 1945. Jackie Robinson would be the first Black player in Major League Baseball when he joined the Dodgers on April 15, 1947.

The post-war era saw ongoing integration as Black players gained more opportunities to join the major leagues, although they still faced significant racial discrimination and abuse on and off the field. However, as more Black players participated in Major League Baseball, their fans followed. This shift in attention impacted the financial viability of the Negro Leagues, causing them to falter: The second Negro National League ended in 1948, and the Negro American League ended in 1962.

In 1959, the last Major League Baseball team integrated when the Boston Red Sox hired Pumpsie Green.

Little League baseball game in Hartford Park, Ohio, 1955; Columbus Metropolitan Library via Wikimedia Commons

Family Life During the WWII Era

When thinking about World War II, it’s common to focus on battles in far-off lands—Europe, Northern Africa, or the Pacific Theater, for instance—and those whose military service took them to distant locations.

But consider also those who stayed at home. What were their daily lives like during wartime? Did they grow victory gardens? Build Liberty ships? Gather with neighbors to put together “bundles for Britain”? Maybe they looked for neighborhood pick-up games and youth sports to keep up their spirits during wartime. Or they could have listened to major league games on the radio—TV coverage was rare at this point—to escape distressing news reports about the war.

See what you might discover as you look for family names in old newspaper stories during wartime? And don’t forget to explore high school yearbooks from the early 1940s. Maybe some of the baseball team photos feature one of your family members.

Whether you want to look into the baseball stars of your own family or delve into the histories of your favorite baseball pros, Ancestry has abundant resources to explore. A free trial with Ancestry may help you learn more about your family and the historical sports stars you admire.

Sources

https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2018/09/baseball-and-world-war-i/
https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/3543337/army-air-forces-enlisted-in-wwii/
https://sabr.org/journal/article/the-business-of-baseball-during-world-war-ii/
https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/jackie-robinson-and-double-v-campaign
https://www.actofvaloraward.org/post/hall-of-fame-military-spotlight-series-joe-dimaggio
https://www.fold3.com/record/619227265/joe-dimaggio-1914-us-veterans-affairs-birls-death-file-1850-2010
https://news.va.gov/86899/lawrence-yogi-berra-time-great
https://www.uso.org/stories/2873-from-d-day-vet-to-baseball-legend-yogi-berra-s-life-as-a-service-member-and-yankees-player
https://thestory.bar/blog/2018/8/9/babe-ruth-ted-williams-the-wwii-effort
https://www.ncronline.org/news/culture/babe-ruth-unlikely-catholic-was-giant-both-appetite-and-charity
https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/stories/inside-pitch/negro-national-league-is-founded
https://negroleagues.org/eastern-colored-league
https://negroleagues.org/negro-national-league-ii
https://negroleagues.org/negro-american-league-2
https://baseballhall.org/civilrights
https://www.history.com/articles/jackie-robinson-color-barrier-baseball
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/august-26/first-televised-major-league-baseball-game
Image 1: https://www.newspapers.com/image/205882168/
Image 2: https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2238/records/18781631
Image 3: https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1113/records/1520633
Image 4: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Little_League_baseball_game_in_Hartford_Park_-_DPLA_-_ee0fdc78a8fd584b14f135fc484b02ae.jpg

America's Favorite Pastime, Baseball, During World War II