World War II Chronicle: May 8, 1941
American League pitchers can’t stop Cecil Travis (the Germans won’t find a way either).
We have mentioned the Washington shortstop before, and today’s newspaper highlights just how tough Travis is. The Georgia farm boy is dealing with hands that are completely covered with blisters and he sports an open wound from being spiked by Phil Rizzuto. He is absolutely terrorizing opposing pitchers though, reaching base once every two at-bats (.500 on-base percentage). His bat is so hot Travis is nearly 100 points above Ted Williams. Here is how baseball’s top three hitters stack up today:
- Cecil Travis .464
- Ted Williams .368
- Joe DiMaggio .293
An article on page 48 claims that Washington’s trainers have trimmed so much skin from Travis’ hands that he only has an area the size of a dime remaining. Many of us — myself included — know the pain of batting or throwing with blistered hands or playing with an open wound, but who could do so against the likes of Bob Feller and Thornton Lee?
On this day 80 years ago, Washington faced the defending American League champion Detroit Tigers, who are taking the field without 1940 MVP Hank Greenberg for the first time. Although the draft board allowed Greenberg to take the field one more time so he could join the team as they raised the 1940 championship pennant over Tiger Stadium, he declined and traveled to Fort Custer to begin basic training. He leaves behind his $50,000 salary — just under $1 million in 2021 dollars — for $21 a month.
Hank did squeeze in 19 games before departing, belting his 248th and 249th career home runs on his last game, and he leaves a huge hole in the clubhouse. Ned Harris is picked to take over left field, but only plays a dozen games in left. Rip Radcliff handles most of the left field duties, along with Barney McCosky and Ned Harris. All three of these Tigers will serve in the Navy during World War II, Harris doing so despite being 38 years old when he enlisted. Del Baker’s Tigers had to make do with losing at least 15 players to military service, and incidentally, the Detroit manager served in the Navy during World War I.
Moving on from sports, Capt. James Roosevelt — one of Pres. Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s four sons in uniform — has reportedly arrived in Cairo, Egypt as an observer. You can find out more about his mission here. Fellow Marine, Maj. Gerald C. Thomas accompanyies Capt. Roosevelt. Thomas earned a Silver Star and Purple Heart during the Battle of Belleau Wood and later fought in Haiti after receiving a commission as a second lieutenant. He is recalled from Egypt in two months when he is named assistant operations officer for the newly formed 1st Marine Division, and will earn decorations for his role in the Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Bougainville campaigns.
Thomas is the Commanding General of the 1st Marine Division during the Korean War and earns the Army’s Distinguished Service Cross for his leadership and courage under fire. After returning to the United States, Pres. Harry Truman names him Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps.
George Fielding Eliot is advocating for a new intelligence organization that sounds a lot like the CIA in his column on page 15. The CIA won’t be around for another six years, by the way.
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Evening star. (Washington, D.C.), 8 May 1941. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1941-05-08/ed-1/