Baseball in the Navy always was much more fun than it had been in the major leagues.

I did what any American could and should do: serve his country in its time of need.

As much as we disliked the Yankees, fans and players alike, they were good for baseball. They consistently unsuccessful teams like the Browns, Senators, and A's paid a lot of their bills with those big crowds that poured through the gates when the Yankees came to town.

I needed to join the Navy. If you ask the people in Europe who won World War II, they don't say the Allies, they say the United States won the war and saved the world.

Baseball is only a game, a game of inches and a lot of luck. During a time of all-out war, sports are very insignificant.

Nowadays, they have more trouble packing hair dryers than baseball equipment.

I went on inactive duty in August 1945, and since I had stayed in such good shape and had played ball on military teams, I was ready to start for the Indians just two days later, against the Tigers.