.cHcHkC{font-size:1.2rem;line-height:1.2;margin-top:0;max-height:48px;overflow:hidden;position:relative;display:-webkit-box;width:100%;-webkit-line-clamp:2;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;}/*!sc*/ The catcher/outfielder played 18 legendary seasons with the Yankees and . Whitey Herzog made his major league debut in 1956, but he might have been promoted sooner had two years of military service -- in 1953 and 1954 -- not caused him to miss two seasons of minor league ball. Just over a year later, he made his major league debut with the New York Yankees. In 1918, Mathewson enlisted and was sent to France. Tom Landry is considered one of the greatest . Included in his 29 PGA Tour victories were six major titles. He went on to serve as a flight instructor and meterology teacher at Tuskegee. Support provided by Market New York through I LOVE NY/ New York States Division of Tourism as a part of the Regional Economic Development Council awards. .mHQYb .p-search-item__info{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;}/*!sc*/ He resigned his commission in 1969 and headed straight to Cowboys training camp. .mHQYb .p-search__list--multiple-type .p-search-item--team + .p-search-item--player:before{border-top:1px solid #ddd;content:'Players';left:10px;right:10px;}/*!sc*/ To qualify for a minimum $34,000 annual pension plan, MLB players must play 43 days in the major leagues. Assigned to the 860th Bomb Squadron as a co-pilot in a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, Landry served in 30 combat missions and once survived a crash landing after his plane ran out of fuel. @font-face{font-family:'proxima-nova';src:url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-medium-it.woff2') format('woff2'),url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-medium-it.woff') format('woff');font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-display:fallback;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top .header__nav-top__button-menu--icon span:nth-child(4){top:16px;}/*!sc*/ Lauri Markkanen shaved his head as he prepares for his mandatory service in the Finnish military this offseason. Enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1943, Pee Wee Reese served in the Pacific during World War II. He was awarded a Silver Star, Purple Heart and a posthumous promotion, and his number was retired both by the Cardinals and college team Arizona State. data-styled.g145[id="Styles__StickyHeaderContent-sc-1wye7kw-1"]{content:"jbYgiH,"}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb .p-search__list--multiple-type .p-search-item--team + .p-search-item--player.p-search-item--es:before{content:'Jugadores';}/*!sc*/ 7 professional athletes who also served in the military. [type="search"]{-webkit-appearance:textfield;outline-offset:-2px;}/*!sc*/ @media (min-width:768px){body.article .ad-top-container{min-height:106px;}}/*!sc*/ In addition to holding the heavyweight boxing title from 1937 to 1949 (participating in 27 championship fights), Louis also broke golf's color barrier by competing in a PGA event in 1952. @media (min-width:768px){h1.Styles__HeadlineContainer-sc-19rm04l-0{font-size:2.488rem;}h2.Styles__HeadlineContainer-sc-19rm04l-0{font-size:1.44rem;}}/*!sc*/ .blLcNM .content >:nth-last-child(2){border:none;margin-right:auto;padding-right:48px;}/*!sc*/ article > header{padding:0 16px;}/*!sc*/ window.adobeAnalytics = {"reportingSuiteId":"mlbglobal08,mlbcom08","linkInternalFilters":"mlb"} .hspSPq svg{padding-top:1px;vertical-align:top;fill:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ Brooklyn Dodger Jackie Robinson is famous for many things: Winning Rookie of the Year, being the first African American major league baseball player and being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav__group-title{color:#aaaaaa;font-weight:700;font-size:12px;background-color:#ffffff;text-transform:uppercase;}/*!sc*/ In his honor, his family launched the Pat Tillman Foundation, which provides aid, resources and educational scholarships to support veterans, active-duty service members and their spouses. On April 22, 2004, he was killed in a friendly fire incident. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top [class$='__nav-item__text']{color:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ @font-face{font-family:'proxima-nova';src:url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-regular.woff2') format('woff2'),url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-regular.woff') format('woff');font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-display:fallback;}/*!sc*/ .groqnz.markdown.youtube,.groqnz.photo figcaption.youtube,.groqnz.oembed .social-embed.youtube{padding:0;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__nav-item--spotlight{background-color:#333333;}/*!sc*/ He won the Cy Young Award and was named the World Series MVP in 1961 and was an All Star eight times. @media (min-width:1024px){.hUHmCp > article{margin:auto;max-width:967px;}.hUHmCp > article > section{grid-column:1 / span 8;}.hUHmCp > article > aside{display:block;grid-column:9 / 13;}}/*!sc*/ template{display:none;}/*!sc*/ .dLQAwR{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;margin-right:8px;min-height:48px;margin-bottom:8px;padding-right:8px;}/*!sc*/ .groqnz .ad-body-container .ad-body-inner-container{margin-bottom:32px;padding:43px 0 16px 0;position:relative;text-align:center;width:343px;}/*!sc*/ Retired from the sport in 1927 after holding the world heavyweight title from 1919-1926, Dempsey spent some years appearing in exhibitions before joining the New York State National Guard and then the Coast Guard Reserve. While he was a student at Wake Forest, his roommate died in a car accident, and he joined as a means of escaping the pain of losing a friend and to find a meaningful direction for his life. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav--teams__league{margin-bottom:5px;}/*!sc*/ Here are four in particular who experienced combat during World War II: Hank Greenberg Hank Greenberg played 13 seasons of Major League baseball, primarily as a Detroit Tiger. While he retired at the age of 28 with nine wins -- seven of which were in majors -- Jones is perhaps best known for winning all four major tournaments in 1930. In its third year and with a total investment of more than $1.3 million, localized support of the military by each club through this program has been realized through charitable grants for events and programs that benefit service members, veterans and military families. He picked up right where he left off upon his return in 1942, hitting .300 that season and finishing third in the National League MVP voting. data-styled.g166[id="Styles__VideoPlayerContainer-t94iyc-0"]{content:"XOHMa,"}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb .p-search__list--multiple-type .p-search-item--team:first-of-type:before,.mHQYb .p-search__list--multiple-type .p-search-item--team + .p-search-item--player:before{color:#737373;font-size:12px;position:absolute;left:10px;top:10px;padding-top:12px;}/*!sc*/ When he retired in 1956 after an 18-year professional career, Feller was a World Series champion and eight-time All Star and had earned baseball's Triple Crown, won 266 games and struck out 2,581 players and pitched three no-hitters. Marie Tillman, the widow of former NFL player and Army Ranger Pat Tillman, says that her husband's service "should never be politicized in a way that divides us." He chose not to inform his fellow soldiers of his basketball background, preferring to have a fresh start. @media (max-width:350px){.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__nav-item__link .icon__nav-item{display:none;}}/*!sc*/ In 1947, Robinson became the first player to break baseball's color line when he played his first game with the Dodgers and was named the Rookie of the Year. After finishing the 1942 season in the minor leagues, Warren Spahn enlisted in the Army. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top{background-color:#041E42;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__logo--mlb img{margin:auto;}/*!sc*/ The Armed Forces Day logo also appeared on the bases at each ballpark, and the official dugout lineup cards featured the symbolic ribbon to support the initiative. Lummus was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism. .cwEpxl:hover{background-color:transparent;}/*!sc*/ .fuMUTu rect{fill:#ffffff;stroke:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ Eddie Collins - Marines Jocko Conlan - Navy Red Faber - Navy Warren Giles - Army Burleigh Grimes - Navy Harry Heilmann - Navy Waite Hoyt - Army George Kelly - Army Larry MacPhail - Army Rabbit Maranville - Navy Rube Marquard - Navy Christy Mathewson - Army Herb Pennock - Navy Sam Rice - Army Branch Rickey - Army Eppa Rixey - Army Five years after becoming a member of the U.S. national bobsleigh team, in June 2007 John Napier enlisted in the Vermont Army National Guard. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__nav-container__primary.resizing{overflow-y:hidden;}/*!sc*/ a{background-color:transparent;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header [class$='__nav-item__text'],.mHQYb header.mlb-header [class$='__nav-item__link'],.mHQYb header.mlb-header [class$='__button-text']{text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ Later becoming the governor of Minnesota, he had his SEAL instructor stand by his side. "The Colonel" won four World Series championships (1946, 1950, 1951, 1956) as a second baseman with the New York Yankees. .eJdqRG a:hover{color:#0048AB;}/*!sc*/ button,input,optgroup,select,textarea{font-family:inherit;font-size:100%;line-height:1.15;margin:0;}/*!sc*/ Currently a soldier in the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, Sergeant Napier won the two-man event at the 2009 U.S. National Bobsleigh Championships. Each season, Major League Baseball and our clubs proudly support and recognize the men and women who serve our country. 2. During the war, "The Fighting Marine" saw action in France. .mHQYb body.side-nav-open{position:fixed;overflow:hidden;overscroll-behavior:none;touch-action:none;}/*!sc*/ Others, like Hall of Fame pitcher Christy Mathewson, joined the armed forces after their playing days had come to an end. 24th September 1953: Rocky Marciano (1923 - 1969), right, and Roland La Straza fight for the heavyweight title on Sept. 24, 1953, at the Polo Grounds in New York. Although he was not drafted, Hall eventually signed with the Tennessee Titans in 2006 and played in 14 games his rookie year. With the outbreak of World War II, Wooden enlisted in the Navy in 1942 and eventually gained the rank of lieutenant. .mHQYb .p-search-item__image-thumbnail--rounded{background-color:#f7f7f7;margin-top:0;margin-left:0.25rem;height:40px;border:1px solid #e2e2e2;border-radius:50%;}/*!sc*/ The panel's recommendations were never released publicly, but rumored to be among them was to improve recruiting by finding a way to allow athletes to turn pro. Born: 5/12/1925. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .icon *{fill:currentColor;}/*!sc*/ The initiative began as a means of support for nonprofits targeting veterans' greatest needs, including mental health as well as job training & placement. pic.twitter.com/HEPrUfR3HL. .hUHmCp > article .ad-top-right-container,.hUHmCp > article .ad-bottom-right-container{position:relative;margin-bottom:64px;min-height:250px;}/*!sc*/ From the Air Force Academy to the Show. He later claimed it was those golf outings that helped him receive a promotion to lance corporal. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__button.locale,.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__button.search{display:none;}/*!sc*/ MLB has a long history of supporting the military, and below is a look at examples of our present-day support. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__logo{-webkit-flex:0 1 auto;-ms-flex:0 1 auto;flex:0 1 auto;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;text-align:left;height:56px;padding:0 16px 0 0;}/*!sc*/ San Antonio Spurs star David Robinson earned his nickname "The Admiral" the old-fashioned wayhe went to college at the United States Naval Academy and served in the Navy after graduating. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__button{background:none;border:none;padding:0 16px 0 0;font-size:14px;font-weight:bold;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;}/*!sc*/ Was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism fellow soldiers of his background... 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