Baseball United: American Baseball in the World War Years
Chicago White Sox 1917 World Series Uniform
The history of baseball is long and rich, but one era, in particular, showcased baseball’s ability to transcend sport to unite society.
The World War I & II times in the United States were taxing. Men served in dangerous missions overseas while women stepped up into the workplace to fill employment voids; daily American life, to say the least, was full of stress, fear, and uncertainty.
But one constant helped bring distraction and happiness to the country. The game of baseball.
Throughout the war periods, baseball carried on. Not only did teams continue to play, but teams and athletes brought demonstrations of patriotism on to the field. In WWI years, teams began to wear American flag patches on their sleeves. During the 1917 World Series, the Chicago White Sox even wore a fully patriotic themed uniform for games.
It was also during this time that the playing of the American national anthem became a tradition. In the seventh inning stretch of 1918 World Series between the Cubs and Red Sox, the Star-Spangled Banner was played by an on-field band. While the band played, the players stood at attention facing the American flag, and moments later, the crowd rose to their feet, sung along and erupted into applause. For the remaining series games in Boston, the Red Sox played the Star-Spangled Banner before play.
The Green Light letter written by President Roosevelt
The song later became the official national anthem of the United States in 1931 and was played during Opening Day games, holidays, and the World Series.
During WWII years, the nation’s leader, President Roosevelt issued a political document called the Green Light letter articulating his feelings on whether or not baseball play should continue during war efforts. He articulated that baseball games should continue, that the sports offered entertainment and a rare opportunity for Americans to turn their minds away from war-related worries. Once again, patriotic patches on baseball uniforms emerged during the second World War period, this time in the form of stars and striped themed crests.
From this iconic time in American sports history, we were inspired to create the Baseball United Collection. This line of ’47 CAPTAIN RF caps showcases MLB team logos of the World War eras. Just like the patriotic inspired patches adopted on to uniforms, we designed a patriotic logos for each war period.
Explore this collection inspired by the history of American society, and it’s national pastime, baseball. Available at 47brand.com.
