Some of the greatest players in baseball history lost multiple years of their careers while serving in the military, but Ted Williams is a special case. After being drafted in 1942, the Splendid Splinter served in the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps in World War II. He returned to the Red Sox in 1946. Six years later, Williams was called to active duty again, this time to serve in the Korean War.
Williams is one of two members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the only Hall of Fame player to serve in multiple wars. (Pioneer/executive Larry MacPhail served in World Wars I and II).
Sunday marks the date in 1952 when the Marines selected Williams from a list of inactive reserves for service in Korea.
According to Ben Bradlee Jr.'s book, "The Kid: The Immortal Life of Ted Williams," Williams was surprised by the news. While he knew he was technically eligible, Williams purportedly had made an informal agreement with then-Commander Alexander Vandegrift at the end of World War II, consenting to remain in the reserves to help with recruiting with the understanding that he wouldn't be called back to active duty. A captain directly involved with the selection process later told friends that when the Marines selected Ted Williams for duty a second time, they didn't realize it was the ballplayer.
