GUIDE to the National League Files: WORLD WAR I & II
National Baseball Hall of Fame Library
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum 25 Main Street Cooperstown, NY 13326
www.baseballhall.org
Collection Number BA MSS 138 BL-568.2011
Title National League Files: World War I & II
Inclusive Dates 1917 – 1950 (bulk 1940 – 1950)
Extent 1.66 linear feet (4 archival boxes)
Repository National Baseball Hall of Fame Library 25 Main Street Cooperstown, NY 13326
Abstract This is a collection of correspondence giving us an insight on how Major League Baseball contributed to the efforts of World War I & II and how professional baseball was affected by the wars.
Preferred Citation National League Files: World War I & II, BA MSS 138, National Baseball Hall of Fame Library, Cooperstown, NY.
Access By appointment during regular business hours, email [email protected].
Property Rights This National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum owns the property rights to this collection.
Copyright For information about permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the library.
Processing Information This collection was processed by Claudette Scrafford in September 2011.
Provenance This collection was donated by the Office of the Commissioner in 2004.
Scope and Content This collection is organized into two series, by subject matter and chronologically.
Series I has six files of correspondence and information relating to World War I. Files include baseball equipment sent to ships, military data of players, “Work or Fight” government order.
Series II relates to World War II and is the bulk of this collection. Topics include National Defense Service List, war relief benefit games, returned baseballs by fans, Selective Service. Box 4, folders 16 to 31 are post-war related files.
Controlled Access Terms These records are indexed under the following terms in the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Library catalog. Researchers wishing to find related materials may wish to search under these terms.
Corporate Names National League American League Army-Navy Relief Fund Office of Defense Transportation American & National League Motion Picture Division
Personal Names Frick, Ford 1894-1978 Landis, Kenesaw Mountain 1866-1944 Breadon, Sam 1876-1949 Fonseca, Lew 1899-1989 Allen, Lee 1915-1969 Nowak, Hank 1918-1945
Subject Headings World War I World War II Draft, United States War bonds Tour, Pacific Correspondence Statistical data Economics Collective labor agreements
Content List Series I – WWI – Box 1, Folders 1 – 6 Series II – WWII – Box 1, Folders 7 – 16, Boxes 2,3,4
Abbreviations: National Defense Service List (NDSL) National League (NL) American League (AL)
Box 1 File Title Dates WWI Folder 1 NL equips US Navy ships 1917-1918 Folder 2 Voluntarily retired players May 1918 - participation in championship games Folder 3 Military data of players 1918 Folder 4 “Work or Fight” order 1918 Folder 5 Discharging of men Jan-Mar 1919 NL players who served in the Navy Mar 1920 Folder 6 Library War Service Jun 12, 1919 -Baseball Magazine sent to troops
WW II Folder 7 Average salary per club 1925-1947 Folder 8 Finnish Relief All-Star game 1940 Folder 9 Military draft classification of players 1940-1941 Folder 10 Selective Service, NDSL 1940-1942, 1944 Folder 11 Correspondence, Ford Frick 1941 -April - new tax bill -Jul-Aug – Defense Bond Day -Sept – World Series -Military Divisional Camps with strengths Folder 12 NDSL – Boston Braves 1942-1945 - Warren Spahn, 1943 -John Sain, 1943 Folder 13 NDSL – Brooklyn Dodgers 1942-1945 Folder 14 NDSL – Chicago Cubs 1942-1945 -Eddie Waitkus, 1943 Folder 15 NDSL – Cincinnati Reds 1942-1945 -John Vander Meer, 1944 Folder 16 NDSL – New York Giants 1942-1946 -John Mize, 1943 -Van Lingle Mongo, 1944 Folder 17 NDSL – Philadelphia Phillies 1942-1945
Box 2 File Title Dates Folder 1 NDSL – Pittsburgh Pirates 1942-1945 -Ralph Kiner, 1943 Folder 2 NDSL – St. Louis Cardinals 1942-1945 -Enos Slaughter, 1943 -Stan Musial, 1945 Folder 3 NDSL – by team and military branch no date Folder 4 NL War Effort Report 1942 Folder 5 USO, World Series 1942 Folder 6 Admissions to ballparks for Armed Forces 1941-1942 Folder 7 Army-Navy Relief Fund games 1942 Folder 8 Army-Navy Relief Fund financial statements 1942 Folder 9 Benefit games, requests 1942,1943 Folder 10 Clubs as issuing agents for War Savings Bonds 1943 Folder 11 Defense Bond flag & uniform health insignia 1942 Folder 12 War programs, updates 1942 Folder 13 Scrap Salvage Campaign 1942-1943 Folder 14 Exhibition games at military camps 1942 Folder 15 Military draft classification of players 1941-1943 Folder 16 Baseballs returned by fans 1942-1943 Folder 17 Office of Defense Transportation, restrictions 1942-1945 Folder 18 Notebook with baseballs shipped 1942-1945 -by team, date, name, address, total shipped Folder 19 Baseball requests by servicemen 1945-1946
Box 3 File Title Dates Folder 1 Savings Bonds, payroll deductions 1942-1948 Folder 2 War Relief Benefit games, Jun 30, Jul 28 1943 Folder 3 Contributions to Red Cross, War Bonds 1943 Folder 4 Pacific tour 1943 Folder 5 Baseball’s Contributions to War Report 1943 Folder 6 Military draft revised classification 1943 Folder 7 Military draft status of players 1943 Folder 8 Salary stabilization 1942-1943 Folder 9 World Series, games 3,4,6,7, to benefit 1943 -War Relief Fund, Red Cross Folder 10 War funds and activities by club 1943 Folder 11 Salary stabilization 1944-1945 Folder 12 War manpower regulations 1943-1945 Folder 13 Examination of Accounts 1943 -Baseball, end of fiscal year, Oct 31 -War Relief Service Fund, Jul-Dec
Box 4 File Title Dates Folder 1 War Relief games 1944-1945 Folder 2 Post-war planning, Rule 11(n) 1943-1946 -Reinstatement, waiver rule Folder 3 Philadelphia Philles, Spalding invoice for baseballs Aug 1, 1943 Folder 4 Honor Roll plaque, with 8 x 10 photo 1943-1946 Folder 5 Baseball, manpower, government legislation 1944-1945 Folder 6 Selective Service, foreign players 1944-1945 -Cuban, Canadian Folder 7 Players on Limited Service list 1944 Folder 8 Correspondence between Frick and drafted players 1944-1945 Folder 9 War Relief games 1945 Folder 10 “Athletic Program” – Steering Committee meeting Jan 1945 Folder 11 Telegram, Frick to Sam Breadon Mar 23, 1945 -Camp Lee, VA field named Nowak Field -Hank Nowak, first NL pitcher killed in action Folder 12 Selective Service, discrimination against athletes 1945 Folder 13 National Defense players 1945 -Eligibility, Rights & Privileges -Amendments to the Major-Minor League Rules Folder 14 Baseballs returned by fans 1945 Folder 15 Acknowledgements for baseballs received 1945-1946 Folder 16 Major League Broadcasting agreement, termination 1946 Folder 17 Minimum salary 1947 Folder 18 Correspondence to set Major-Minor League meeting 1946 Folder 19 Certificate of Achievement to NL from US Navy 1946 Folder 20 Ulysses Lupien, re-employment contract 1946 Folder 21 AL & NL Motion Picture Division 1946-1948 Folder 22 Examination of Accounts, Ernst & Ernst 1946-1947 -NL Promotional Fund -NL Film & Production Fund Folder 23 Rule (n), Option rule 1947 Folder 24 American Baseball Guild v. NL, NY Giants 1946-1947 -Unfair labor practices Folder 25 Pittsburgh Club, contract disputes 1946 Folder 26 Hearing for Bill 1636, Reserve Clause Jan 22, 1948 Folder 27 Robert Murphy petition against Reserve clause Dec ‘47 – Feb ‘48 Folder 28 Lifetime passes for wounded veteran players 1948 Folder 29 Lee Allen to Frick, NL Diamond Jubilee book 1948 Folder 30 NY Heart Association 1948-1949 Folder 31 Murphy-Rosenblatt Bill, re: doubleheaders 1950