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Baseball in Wartime Gary Bedingfield’s BASEBALL IN WARTIME Volume 1, Issue 4 December 2007 WWW.BASEBALLINWARTIME.CO.UK Merry Christmas to you all! Lou Brissie, Johnny Pesky, Jerry their vast resources on this website. I Coleman, Curt Schilling, Herb Simpson will also be visiting La Fiere, in and Tommy Lasorda. So I will always Normandy, France, where Forest look back on 2007 with fond memories. “Lefty” Brewer (a minor league pitcher in the Senators’ organization) lost his I am stunned at the success of the life on D-Day 1944. newsletter. What was originally planned as a quarterly publication quickly I would like to take this opportunity to became monthly through popular thank everyone who has assisted me demand and is now distributed to a with the Baseball in Wartime website. mailing list that is barely manageable! The list is far too big to name you all but I want to assure you that this January’s issue is already in production project would not be possible without and will focus on the players that your support. Thank you. served in the Battle of the Bulge So, as we approach that magical time But, looking ahead to 2008, there’s of the year, I want to wish you all a plenty more work to be done. I hope to Very Merry Christmas and a Happy add many more player biographies and and Prosperous New Year! put together some accounts of the big service teams of WWII - like Great Gary Bedingfield Lakes, Norfolk NTS, Fort Riley and the (founder and editor of Baseball in Wartime) teams in Hawaii. I would also like to hear what you - the website visitors and newsletter readers - are nother year passes and this looking for. Sometimes, has been by far the most when trying to put successful year for the together the history of A Baseball in Wartime website wartime baseball I seem and newsletter. I have added to get overwhelmed by something in the region of 300 new the vast amount of biographies this year, almost finalized information I still need to the list of minor league players killed in add. If you are looking WWII and taken part in the Duty, for something in Honor, Country: When Baseball Went particular then please to War conference in New Orleans. let me know. You can email me any time at In New Orleans I had the opportunity to [email protected]. I’d meet many people I have previously be happy to hear from only communicated with by email. They you. include: Bill Swank, Todd Anton, Bill Nowlin, Ted Spencer, Brad Brech, Gary One project for early Moore, Kerry Nakagawa and S Derby next year is to get to the Gisclair. I’ve made many new friends Baseball Hall of Fame including Lenny Yochim, Carrie Corbett and Museum in and Bill Detweiler, and been in the Cooperstown in an company of Bob Feller, Morrie Martin, effort to include some of Ebbets Field Flannels is the finest manufacturer of vintage historically- inspired athletic clothing. www.ebbets.com VOLUME 1, ISSUE 4 Page 2 Ray Champagne and the Third Marine Division All-Stars to the Army all-stars, 4-3, in managed the Third Marine 12 innings, in the Pacific Division team in the Pacific. World Series in 1944. Champagne chose to join the Red Sox and went to spring Champagne left training in 1946. His wife, Guadalcanal for Guam in Violette, was expecting their July 1944. After the Guam first child at the time, and the campaign ended the Red Sox wanted to send following month, the Third Champagne to Scranton, Marine Division baseball Pennsylvania, but he wanted team was back in action on to stay close to home and the ballfield. They played a requested to play for the series of exhibition games, Lynn Red Sox in the New and even traveled by air to England League which had neighboring islands for attained Class B status in games against the Second organized baseball for 1946. Marine Division. The Red Sox would not allow In February 1945 it was this andTed Champagne Williams at Warchose Ray Champagne batting for the Third Marine Division All-Stars in the Pacific. back to business as the instead to playBill Nowlin for a local Rounder Books $24.95 Third Marine Division were semi-pro club. Third baseman Ray In 1942, Champagne played involved in the invasion of Order your copy at Champagne was born in the for Marquette in the New Iwo Jima. During this battle, Betweenwww.rounderbooks.com 1947 and 1950, small industrial town of England League. He joined pitcher Jimmy Trimble was Champagne played baseball Woonsocket, 15 miles north the Marines in July 1942 and killed in action. with the PQ team in the of Providence, Rhode Island served in the Pacific with the Suburban League and in 1921. At the age of 15 he Third Marine Division. When the Marines returned Jennie’s Ice Cream in the played for the Kornstein to Guam after securing Iwo Providence Amateur League. Juniors who won the Junior Following the Guadalcanal Jima, the Third Marine In his last time at bat at Twilight League. He also campaign in 1943, Corporal Division baseball field was Roosevelt Park, Blackstone played high school baseball Champagne helped guide the renamed Trimble Field in (Massachusetts), Ray hit a at Franklin High and HQ Battalion baseball team honor of Jimmy. home run! American Legion ball in to the Third Marine Division Providence. pennant. The team’s line-up Ray Champagne returned Ray worked as a salesman included Art Manush to the United States in for 38 years with the After leaving high school, (nephew of Hall of Famer 1945. The Marines wanted International Supply Champagne played for the Heinie Manusch and a minor him to play for their team in Company in Cranston, Rhode Model Dairy team that won league player before the San Diego, but he chose to Island. Ray and Violette still play for the naval air station live in Woonsocket. They at Quonset, Rhode Island celebrated their 62nd which was much nearer st wedding anniversary in May home. He played in the 1 2007. Naval District League and helped defeat the Portland (Maine) Navy team for the championship. During his time at Quonset in 1945, Champagne – along with about 30 other players - was invited to Ebbets Field by the 3rd Marine Division team on Guam in 1945 Dodgers, where he met (Ray Champagne is front row, fourth from left) Brooklyn general manager Buzzy Bavasi. the Twilight League title. war), James Trimble (an outstanding high school During the summer of 1945, In 1941, he went to Albany, pitcher signed by the Georgia for a tryout with the Champagne also played for Senators before enlisting) the Worcester Nortons in St Louis Cardinals, playing in and Bobby Schang (a minor an exhibition game against the semi-pro New England league player and son of League, and was signed by the major league club which former major league catcher was coming up from spring Red Sox scout Jack Egan, Wally Schang). Champagne - receiving a $200 bonus. He training. He remained in along with Manush, Trimble Albany for three weeks was also offered a contract and Schang - were selected by Torchy Torrance – vice- © Gary Bedingfield 2007 before returning to Rhode to play for the Third Marine Island to play with American president of the Seattle www.baseballinwartime.co.uk Division all-star team that lost Rainiers – who had [email protected] Wringer in a semi-pro league. ©Gary Bedingfield 2007 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 4 Page 3 Professional Baseball Player Database by Pat Doyle Probably the most valuable were omitted from the Guides statistical categories, or research tool I have in my because of limited playing sorted by career, team, or ever-growing collection is time have been researched league. Pat Doyle’s Professional and added to the database. Baseball Player Database. A new version featuring This full-featured software enhanced statistical This clever piece of program includes batting (BA, information for the years software contains year-by- HR, RBI) and pitching (W-L, 1920 to 1945 will be available year records for major and ERA) statistics for each in March 2008. minor league players player as listed in the Guides between 1922 and 2004. or other sources. It enables For further information and Every player who is listed users to search and sort ordering details visit in the Official Baseball information in a variety of www.baseball-almanac.com/ Guides for those seasons ways. Players may be listed minor-league or contact at Professional Baseball Player Database [email protected] www.baseball-almanac.com/minor-league is included, and many who alphabetically, ranked by $45.00 (plus shipping) Harvey Riebe and the Sinking of the SS Leopoldville Ted Williams at War On August 12, he was called including two minor league from professionalBill Nowlin baseball up by the Tigers and played ballplayers Howard after spendingRounder Books the 1950$24.95 11 games before the season DeMartini (a pitcher in the season withOrder Toledoyour copy in at the ended, batting .314 in 35 at- Giants’ organization) and Americanwww.rounderbooks.com Association. bats. Leonard Berry (a pitcher with Charleston in the South In 1951, Riebe became a Riebe – 21 – entered military Atlantic League). purchasing agent for the service with the Army in Cleveland Brass and Copper October 1942 and was Sergeant Riebe rejoined his Company and worked there stationed at Fort McClelland, unit after recovering from until 1977. Alabama. By 1944 he was in this traumatic ordeal. In England with Company K, early 1945, the 66th Infantry Harvey Riebe - major league 262nd Infantry Regiment of Division was assigned to do catcher, disaster survivor, the 66th Infantry Division.
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