War Bond Game, August 26, 1943

 

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1943 War Bond Game and Old-Timers’ Games Photo Gallery
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1943 War Bond Game

Since yesterday was the second anniversary of my first post here on Old Time Baseball Photos (August 6, 2014), I went back though our photos and found that my first post was from an old-timers’ game. I thought today would be a good time to post another one.

So here’s one of my favorites. It’s from the War Bond game played on August 26, 1943 at the Polo Grounds. The game was organized by the New York Journal American newspaper to sell War Bonds and to raise money for the war effort. The event featured entertainment and comedy from such 1940s stars as Jimmy Cagney, Ethel Merman, Cab Calloway, and Milton Berle. But the main attraction was an exhibition game featuring some of baseball’s biggest names, including seven of the then twelve living members of the Baseball Hall Of Fame and three of ‘The Five Immortals’ of the inaugural Hall Of Fame class of 1936:  Honus Wagner, Walter Johnson and Babe Ruth. The baseball All-Stars defeated the U.S. Army New Cumberland Reception Team 5 – 2. The army team was aided by ball players Hank Greenberg, Johnny Beazley, Danny Murtaugh, Billy Hitchcock and Enos Slaughter.

Over 35,000 fans attended the game which raise a huge sum of money for the war effort through tickets and advertising. The fans were rewarded with a truly memorable display, including Babe Ruth taking Walter Johnson deep into the right field stands, which turned out to be Ruth’s last ever home run in a major league ball park.

Sid Feder of the Associated Press described the scene:

“There were still 35,000 lumps in 35,000 throats around the village Friday, all because a dozen old men walked out on a ball field.  As they spread out on their regular spots on the field, the lump you got in your throat and the moisture in the eyes of some of the most blasé baseball writers in the press coop were more than enough to prove that the baseball fan is at least part elephant.  He never forgets.

“It didn’t matter that in fielding some of Babe’s “practice shots” Murray fell down, Speaker was practically decapitated and Collins was all but carried into right field by a line drive.  The folks had a look at ‘em, and the Babe finally parked one.  That was the icing on the cake.”

-Gary Livacari

Photo Credits: All from Google search

Information: Excerpts edited from article on the War Bond Game found on the National WWII Museum web site. Read more at:  http://www.nww2m.com/2013/08/70th-anniversary-1943-war-bond-jubilee-game/

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