How Do We Assess 1942-45 Wartime Baseball Records

[sayhey24]

Mark Whiten's careeer was unremarkable (but not short), and he had 12 RBI in one game in 1993.

I'm glad someone brought up the topic of years lost during the war -- it leads to one of my favorite Hall of Fame debates -- should borderline players be given credit for the years they lost to WWII? I think the answer is absolutely yes -- we're not talking about years lost to injury or personal problems, these years were lost as part of the greatest generation serving their country.
There aren't many players involved here when talking about HOF contenders -- the two most notable are Cecil Travis and Mickey Vernon, both of whom almost certainly would have compiled lifetime numbers that would have put them in the Hall had it not been for their service to their country.

Greg
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