Gregory Galloway

Robert Brown (25 October 1924 – 25 March 2021)

Bobby Brown played with the New York Yankees (1946-52, 1954), helping the club to World Series titles in 1947, 1949, 1950 and 1951.

He later served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and practiced cardiology in the Dallas-Fort Worth area until accepting a position to serve as the interim president of the Texas Rangers in 1974. He was president of the American League from 1984-94.

On 18 Oct. 1977, Reggie Jackson hit 3 consecutive home runs (on 3 pitches) to help the New York Yankees win their first World Series in 15 years.

28-year-old Joe DiMaggio was enlisted in the Army on 17 February 1943.

DiMaggio had considered joining earlier, but stayed playing baseball after President Roosevelt urged the Major Leagues to continue during wartime. “I honestly feel that it would be best for the country to keep baseball going,” the President stated. “Everybody will work longer hours and harder than ever before. And that means they ought to have a chance for recreation and for taking their minds off their work even more than before.”

DiMaggio made his decision to join without consulting the New York Yankees. He was denied combat duty, and was instead assigned to “Special Services,” where he mostly played baseball with other soldiers on bases in California, Hawaii, and New Jersey in order to improve morale.

DiMaggio was discharged from the Army on 14 Sept. 1945.

According to one biography of DiMaggio, “he went into the Army, a 28-year-old superstar, still at the height of his athletic powers. By the time he was discharged from the service, he was nearly 31, divorced, underweight, malnourished and bitter. Those three years, 1943-1945, would carve a gaping hole in DiMaggio’s career totals, creating an absence that would be felt like a missing limb.”

While Joe DiMaggio served in the military his parents, Giuseppe and Rosalia, were classified as “enemy aliens” by the US Government since they had been born in Italy. They had to carry ID with them at all times and could not leave a 5 mile radius of their San Francisco home without written permission. Giuseppe, who earned his living as a fisherman, could not enter San Francisco Bay, and his fishing boat was confiscated by the government.

Herb Pennock (10 February 1894 – 30 January 1948)

On 17 July 1941, Joe DiMaggio went 0 for 3 (with one walk), ending his record of hitting safely in consecutive games at 56 (which began on 15 May). The end of the streak was helped by 2 outstanding plays by Cleveland Indians third baseman Ken Keltner. DiMaggio would start another streak the next day, hitting safely in the next 16 games.

Henry Louis Gehrig (19 June 1903 – 2 June 1941)

27 April 1947 - Babe Ruth Day.

In Dec. 1946 Ruth had been diagnosed with cancer.  He had undergone surgery to remove a tumor in his neck, but they couldn’t get all of it.  By Feb. 1947, Ruth had lost 80 pounds and his voice was rough and raspy by damage done by the surgery.

The New York Yankees quickly organized a day to celebrate Ruth, who had been out of baseball for 12 years.

Nearly 60,000 fans filled Yankee Stadium on 27 April 1947, and the ceremony was piped into all the other ballparks. According to The New York Times reporting of the day, “Just before he spoke, Ruth started to cough and it appeared that he might break down because of the thunderous cheers that came his way. But once he started to talk, he was all right, still the champion. It was the many men who surrounded him on the field, players, newspaper and radio persons, who choked up.”

“Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. You know how bad my voice sounds. Well, it feels just as bad,” Ruth said as he started his speech, then talked about how much baseball meant to him and thanking the fans.

Ruth would attend other events and a final trip to Yankee Stadium on 13 June 1948, before he died on 16 Aug. 1948 at the age of 53.

First game played at Yankee Stadium, 18 April 1923.

President Warren G. Harding shakes hands with a thrilled Babe Ruth before the game, which was played against the Boston Red Sox in front of a crowd of more than 74,000 people. The Yankees won 4-1, with Ruth hitting a 3-run home run.