With World War Two underway, and the United States having been dragged into the war, MLB commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis was concerned that a shortage of players could result in the games no longer being played. On this day in 1942, Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued his famed Green Light Letter, urgind Landis to keep the game going.
One could understand why Kenesaw Mountain Landis would be concerned about the state of the MLB heading into 1942. The United States had just been dragged into World War Two by the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and already, players like Bob Feller had joined the service to fight. Landis, understanding that the draft and the war could lead to a shortage of players, was no longer certain that it would be viable to play baseball.
Well, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was not having that. Instead, he issued the Green Light Letter, urging Landis to keep the game going. He agreed that the quality of the game may not be as high as it had been, but having the games to go to would help provide a distraction during the effort.
With fewer people available to work, the citizens of the US were going to work longer hours, and work harder, than they had to before. The effort to take on the Axis required a lot of sacrifice from every direction, but Roosevelt believed that baseball would provide a benefit for those back home.
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Likewise, these games would be a way for those overseas to have feel connected to being back home. By keeping abreast of the scores, and the fate of their favorite teams, it would give those serving in the war some semblance of normality.
Of course, the quality of play did drop off. With a lack of able bodied players, there were players like Pete Gray, who had only one arm, patrolling the outfield. Hal Newhouser essentially built his Hall of Fame candidacy over that time, going 80-27 with two MVP awards from 1944 through 1946; he was 120-121 in the other 14 years of his career.
Roosevelt also had an impact in other ways in MLB history. He threw out more first pitches on Opening Day than any other president. He was the first president to attend an All Star Game, and he also pushed the button to light up Crosley Field for the first night game in the Majors.
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Even with those moments, Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s biggest impact may have been to keep the game going through World War Two. It was something the nation desperately needed during such a difficult time.