About
As an Englishman, my enthusiasm for baseball may seem a tad strange.
Baseball is not popular in Britain, and yet I developed a passion for
the American national pastime at a tender age. And since 1999, I've been
researching the impact of war on professional baseball. Why? Well, it
gives me an opportunity to combine two things that fascinate me in life
– World War II and the great game of baseball.
Coinciding with the release of my first book on the subject, "Baseball
in World War II Europe" in 2000, I launched the now popular
BaseballinWartime.com website as a way of sharing the information I was
uncovering. A major part of this website was a section entitled "In
Memoriam," dedicated to baseball players who lost their lives during
World War II. It amazed me that no prior listing had ever been compiled
relating to the National Pastime's commitment to the war in relation to
deaths and I took it upon myself to rectify the situation. In 2009,
McFarland publishers released my second book, "Baseball's Dead of World
War II," a collection of 127 biographies of players who lost their lives
while serving with the military during World War II. Since the release
of "Baseball's Dead" the list has grown to 142 and I decided to look
beyond World War II and see what players made the ultimate sacrifice in
other conflicts, or even while serving in the military in peacetime.
The result of this research is
BaseballsGreatestSacrifice.com, launched
in January 2012, and dedicated to the 400 players who died in service.
It serves as the only Internet source dedicated to these men and will
eventually include biographies for every player I am able to uncover,
from major league to amateur.
What do I hope will become of this information? Well, one day, I’d love
to see Major League Baseball recognize the players who died in service.
Maybe a plaque inscribed with their names. C’mon guys, it’s time they
were honored.
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Gary Bedingfield Founder and Editor www.baseballsgreatestsacrifice.com info@baseballinwartime.com |
Just added: The first chapter of Baseball's Greatest Sacrifice Through the Years. A year-by-year record of ballplayer deaths in the military.
Is the list of players complete?
The list is in no way complete and I'm always looking for additional
names. I'm currently at around 400 and counting.
How regularly will the website be updated?
As free time permits I will be adding new biographies every week.
How does the website differ from Baseball in Wartime?
Baseball's Greatest Sacrifice will focus exclusively on players who lost
their lives in military service. Baseball in Wartime will continue to
explore World War II baseball in general.
How can I get involved?
I'm looking for help compiling biographies on non-WWII players who lost
their lives. If you'd like to write a biography for one of the players
featured on the website then drop me a line and I'll let you know the
format I'm using.
I'd like to sponsor a particular player biography page. Can I do
this?
All biographies are open to sponsorship. A small donation will secure
your sponsorship along with a personalized message on the page. Drop me
a line for more information.
Can I advertise on Baseball's Greatest Sacrifice
In an effort to finance this project and the research involved to help
it grow Baseball's Greatest Sacrifice is open to all advertising ideas.
Drop me a line if you're interested in advertising with us.
Baseball's Greatest Sacrifice is associated with Baseball Almanac
Baseball's Greatest Sacrifice is proud to be sponsored by
