Baseball, like the rest of the country, changed dramatically when the United States entered World War I, and Jim Leeke brings these changes to life in From the Dugouts to the Trenches. He deftly describes how the war obliterated big league clubs and largely dismantled the Minor Leagues, as many prominent players joined the military and went overseas. By the war's end more than 1,250 ballplayers, team owners, and sportswriters would serve, demonstrating that while the war was "over there," it had a considerable impact on the national pastime.
Leeke tells the...
Baseball, like the rest of the country, changed dramatically when the United States entered World War I, and Jim Leeke brings these changes to life...
When the United States officially entered World War I in 1917, it was woefully underprepared for chemical warfare, in which the British, French, and Germans had been engaged since 1915. In response, the U.S. Army created an entirely new branch: the Chemical Warfare Service. The army turned to trained chemists and engineers to lead the charge—and called on an array of others, including baseball players, to fill out the ranks. The Gas and Flame Men is the first full account of Major League ballplayers who served in the Chemical Warfare Service during World War I. Four players, two club...
When the United States officially entered World War I in 1917, it was woefully underprepared for chemical warfare, in which the British, French, and G...
