[jingram058]

Originally Posted by GeoPoto

A few squirts re Cecil:

< Prior to beginning his almost four years in uniform, Travis had a career batting average of .327; after 800 post-war at-bats he finished at .314, which is still the all-time record for an American League shortstop and third overall at shortstop behind Honus Wagner and Arky Vaughan.

< In August 1947 when Cecil retired, the Senators celebrated "Cecil Travis Night", which was attended by former Supreme Allied Commander, Dwight Eisenhower; Travis was showered with gifts, including a fancy DeSoto automobile and a 1,500-pound Hereford bull.

< Despite frostbite suffered during the Battle of the Bulge, Travis refused to blame his military service for derailing his baseball career: saying simply, that his four years away from the game were "too long." He said, "We had a job to do, an obligation, and we did it. I was hardly the only one."

< Bob Feller and Ted Williams lobbied unsuccessfully for Travis' Hall of Fame induction. But as Travis philosophically said: "I was a good player, but I wasn't a great one."

https://www.net54baseball.com/attach...1&d=1705855237

Great post, sir. You summed it up perfectly.