Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-12-02
More Than Half of Stars of
Baseball We're in the Army
When Armistice Was Signed

I lsr MORNING JouRss, SPECIAL LEASED wtaEl
| Inside More than Half 2 col Is pit -.
New York, Dec. 1.--More than one
half of the baseball players who COM
pose the eight clubs of the National
league for greater part of the cham
pionship season of 1918 are, or were
up to the time of the war ended with
the colors. Some saw actual fighting,
two were gkillcd in Uncle Sans serv-
ice, and the men were represented in
pretty much every branch of the serv-
ice.
There was considerably more than
half with the colors-a fraction over.
"a per cent to l,a explicit Data which
John Heydler acting president of the
National league, has jus, finished
gathering, sshow that 1903 of its players
were in the service. This is entirely
apart from those who went into essen
tial work. 1t means men in actual
service with the army or navy.
The total number of players re-
served for the season of 1918 was 257,
which, number, incidentally, has been
reduced to 1853 for 1919. From May
. to the end of the 1918 season the
eight National league clubs carried
an average of from $50 to 100 players
One hundred and three--tfe number
IN The rvtce--5is GA and n fraction per
cent of the 100, the extreme limit of
men carried from May on.
There is nothing whatever in these
figures suggestive of Stacker as applied
to professional baseball players as
class. On the contrary, the showing
is an excellent one and a credit to the
game. The players of the National.
league did their share fully as fighting
men. The statistics show that. THE |
facts probably are" says Acting Presi-
dent Heydler, who is given to conserv- I
ative statements, that baseball gave
as great If not greater per cent of its /
employees than any other occupation" |
half dozen men or so jumped to |
shipyard and steel leagues, but twenty |
times that number were, or are, to be |
found in army camps, in navy yards. /
on fighting ships or in the armies
abroad.
The 1903 men in the service were APP /
portioned as follows: Army (drafted)
AZ; army volunteered, 30: navy
tvolunteered), 32; aviation (voun-
teered. Z. Sixty-one of the 100 play
ers---59 per cent--volunteered and he
fore the draft law became effective.
The 1903 We're mostly players who
took part in National league cham
pionship games in 1917 or 1918 OIL
the twenty who didn't play in either
the 1917 or 1918 championship cam
paigns eighteen had Joined their re-
spective clubs, They We're full-fledged
members: they We're on the payroll
There Is no getting at the percent
age OF men who were overseas Two
National league players were killed onl
duty. The first was Marcus Milligan
a young pitcher obtained by the Pitts
burg club from birmingham, killed in
an airplane accident The other was
Capt. Edward Grant. who, while acting
major. fell while at the head of his
battalion in the Argonne. He was car
ried on the voluntary retire list of the
New York club,
Several players were reported
wounded. Pitcher Ponder an aviator.
won the French cross for valor Hank
Gowdy, the Braves catcher was the
first major league player to volunteer. +
-hristy Mathewson. Cincinnati mana f
ger was made a captain in the gas $
and flame division and sent to France. f
and from the executive department Il
# the league Percy Haughton, of Ros- o
on, and Branch Hickey, of St.tI.ouis,i p
received their commissions as major S
n the gas and flame division and also a
we're sent overseas
In addition TO those In active serv- D
CO more than 100 players found essen Is
ial employment either during or lust
,f,er the pennant season. in ordnance
n nitrate and steel works, shipyards, y
lirplane factories or on farms. They !
directly productive in various !,
ways and more than one received the 9
ommendation of his employer for dill =
renee and intelligence in his job. Some .
we're promoted. They brought adapta- y
'ilitv, on the hall field. to their work. 81
Appended is a list of players in the :,
ervice: =
Victor Aldridge, Chicago. Grover X
Alexander, Chicago: Nick Allen, Gin q
innati Fred Anderson, New York; +,
'red NJ, Railev. Roston. A. T.. Bailey. a
,hicaYo r. ". Bressiar. CINCINNATI; /,
esse Barnes, New York: j. G. Benton, q
lew York A W. Baird, New York;
J. Rrandell PHILADELPHIA: Carson Big n
zee, Pittsfnreh Fred blackwell, Pit s. v
nreh z n Boetkel. Pittsburgh: Tony r,
st louis: Douglas Baird, n
u. Louis; John Brock st. Louis: II. q
,, Conway. Boston. Hugh RI Caravan, n
'0ston; leon Galore, Brooklyn; j. Fl. II