Posted on 01/27/2022 12:59:03 PM PST by fugazi
Spring training is a month away, so it's time to talk baseball.
Who was the hitter Bob Feller feared the most? Not Joe DiMaggio or Ted Williams, but Tommy Heinrich. "He never over-swung," Feller said. "He made a ball be a strike and he would swing at a low overhand curve now and then. Tom would go for the single and cut down on his swing with two strikes. He was a good clutch hitter and tough to strike out -- it seemed he was always looking for the pitch I was delivering."
As we see on page 3, New York Yankee right fielder Tommy Henrich is one of the many Americans recently reclassified by the draft board. "Old Reliable" finished third (behind Williams and teammate Charlie Keller) on the American League homerun leaderboard last season and will be selected for his first All-Star game in 1942. On 30 August Specialist 1st Class Henrich joins the Coast Guard, serving in Michigan until 29 September 1945. He returns to baseball in 1946 and makes the All-Star roster each year from 1947-50.
As for Bob Feller (featured image), he is training at Norfolk Naval Training Station (Va.), and is joined by Philadelphia Athletics center fielder Sam Chapman. Many great baseball players played at Norfolk, and there is a good article with videos about Norfolk's two ball clubs here.
Speaking of former A's, Ace Parker -- whom we discussed back in October -- is about to join the Navy himself. Ace was drafted by Connie Mack in 1937, the same year he was drafted by the NFL's Brooklyn Dodgers in the second round. Ace was an All-American tailback at Duke University and also a star outfielder for the Blue Devils' baseball team...
(Excerpt) Read more at untothebreach.net ...
I’ve heard that Ted Williams was still swinging for the pines later in his career when he should have been looking for a hit.
Not knocking the man, just what I’ve heard/read.
I wonder. Taking a look at the stats, his last few years seem pretty much on par with the rest of his career, considering wear and tear. Impressive how well he could still swing in his 40s. Imagine what his career would have looked like without two wars, or if he had the option of being a designated hitter (yuck).
January 27, 1943 : Americans bomb Germany for the first time.
“8th Air Force bombers, dispatched from their bases in England, fly the first American bombing raid against the Germans, targeting the Wilhelmshaven port. Of 64 planes participating in the raid, 53 reached their target and managed to shoot down 22 German planes—and lost only three planes in return.”
January 27, 1944 : Siege of Stalingrad is lifted.
January 27, 1945 : Auschwitz was liberated.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history
27JAN44 siege of LENINGRAD lifted
Ted was one of the greats, without doubt. And he was a dang good pilot according to John Glenn. In flight training he broke the services records for reaction, perception and several other things the service tested.
Those two wars came along in what should have been the prime of his career. If he hadn’t been drafted he may have broken Ruth’s HR record or other records.
I can’t remember where I read about his hitting but I remember reading it. But Ted Williams was Ted Williams and thats all there is.
And he was a spiffy sportsman too.
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