World War II Chronicle: January 31, 1942
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Today’s newspaper reports that Brooklyn’s four-time All Star third baseman Cookie Lavagetto is enlisting in Naval aviation. Lavagetto and reigning National League Most Valuable Player Dolph Camilli both earned their pilot’s licenses while with the Dodgers — which earned them a $500 fine when the front office found out. Mostly stationed in California, Chief Aviation Machinist Mate Lavagetto played on and managed several clubs. In 1945 he was shipped off to Hawaii and managed a team which had Stan Musial on the roster.
In December 1941 Jackie Robinson was wrapping up his career as a semi-professional football player with the Pacific Coast Professional Football League. In fact he had just left Honolulu two days before the Japanese attacked, and his ship — the ocean liner SS Lurline — zig-zagged across the Pacific under black-out conditions and radio silence. The former UCLA star is drafted, and enters the Army in April 1942. We will have more on Robinson in the future.
Sports section begins on page 18.
1: Behrman served in the 326th Glider Infantry Regiment, serving in France in 1945 and also played baseball.
2: Branca is former player/manager Bobby Valentine’s father-in-law. And while his career has its share of noteworthy accomplishments, he is famous for giving up the famous 1951 home run to Bobby Thomson known as “The Shot Heard Round the World.” Apparently the Giants were stealing the Dodgers’ signs.