World War II Chronicle: Chapel Hill Cloudbusters

Unto the Breach ^ | Feb. 22, 2021 | Chris Carter

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[...] The Cloudbusters consisted of several former Major Leaguers-turned aviation cadets -- most notably Ted Williams. During a charity game in 1943, the Cloudbusters beat a handpicked team of New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians, managed by Babe Ruth (who also pinch-hit), a game which we will certainly cover in the future. Other players include Hassett, his former teammate Buddy Gremp, who played 113 games as a backup first baseman for the Bees/Braves before his time in uniform. Johnny Sain was a rookie pitcher for the Braves in 1942 and after serving as a flight instructor at Corpus Christy, Texas, he would go on to win 20 or more games four times for Boston.

Johnny Pesky had a spectacular rookie season with the Red Sox in 1942, leading the league in hits with 205 and finishing third in MVP voting. After hanging up his Naval uniform, he picked up where he left off, hitting 208 in 1946 and 207 in 1947. Had he not lost three prime seasons to the war, Johnny Pesky would most likely be in the Hall of Fame.

Joe Coleman played one game in 1942 for the Philadelphia A's before joining the Navy. Coleman would play another nine seasons after serving in the Pacific Theater. Alex Sabo played five games with the Washington Senators in the 1930s. Pete Appleton enlisted in the Navy after 13 years in the big leagues, throwing another 23 innings as a 41-year-old after the war.

Chapel Hill's football club was equally formiddable: they were led by several future hall of fame coaches: Glenn Killinger, Johnny Vaught, Paul "Bear" Bryant, and Jim Crowley (one of Notre Dame's legendary Four Horsemen), all now serving in the Navy. Another coach was Frank Kimbrough [...]

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Taking a break from war to focus on sports. This is for all the readers that inevitably write "you didn't mention Ted Williams" whenever I post anything about baseball in wartime.

Given that sports has become politicized, pitchers no longer bat, and that it's all but impossible for the common man to relate with today's millionaire athletes, it's nice to think back to an era where ballplayers had part-time jobs, loved America, and were occasionally fighting and dying alongside regular guys. Not to get off topic, but from someone whose life once revolved around baseball and football, it's a damn shame what sports has done to itself. I haven't watched a professional football game in years, and I had to walk away from baseball last year.