Keene: From blimps to baseball, MLB’s World War II veterans still alive today
From SABR member Anne R. Keene at the Lewistown Sentinel on May 23, 2020:
Roughly two dozen Major League Baseball players who served in World War II survive today.
They remember Civil War veterans who officiated ballgames, breadlines in the Great Depression, the attack on Pearl Harbor and kids crippled by polio.
One such veteran lives in Lewistown. His story is a testament to the resilience that helped our country conquer our biggest challenges.
Charles Lemoine “Tim” Thompson, Sr., 96, appeared in 187 Major League games as a catcher and a pinch hitter for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Kansas City Athletics and Detroit Tigers. As one of the first big-leaguers to work the plate wearing eyeglasses, Thompson has seen it all — from twilight games in the old wooden ballparks to the explosion of multi-million-dollar player salaries.
Read the full article here: https://www.lewistownsentinel.com/news/local-news/2020/05/from-blimps-to-baseball/
Originally published: May 26, 2020. Last Updated: May 26, 2020.