Baseball WWII

Examines the sport as a popular social patriotic glue. Looks at the decline of players quality and compares it to the game of WWI. Looks at the issues of players military service, attendance and owners views. Baseball was one of the most significant forms of popular culture in the United States at the time of the Second World War. It was, by far, the most popular sport in the country, and its stars were local and, often, national heroes. It was a truly national pastime, as professional teams from the large northeastern and midwestern cities competed with each other, minor league teams drew crowds in small towns all over the country, and radio listeners swelled the number of fans. A great body of popular lore had grown up around the subject, and the identification of baseball and American values had become axiomatic. As with any manifestation of popular culture, baseball both revealed and determined what American society valued most. But, when World War II arrived, it was inevitable that baseball would be hit much harder than other popular culture..