1942 – Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox enlists as a Naval Aviator. Williams will finish the season with his team, as will many other players who enlisted or await the draft, which moves slowly despite the early discouragements of the war. Other American League regulars of 1941 enlisted in the military service include Johnny Berardino, Sam Chapman, Bob Feller, Joe Grace, Buddy Lewis, Pat Mullin, Johnny Rigney, Johnny Sturm and Cecil Travis.