During World War II, when many athletes went into military service, the military post at the Fort Ontario State Historic Site became a regional baseball powerhouse, due in part to the posting there of former professional and minor league ballplayers, even including a former starting pitcher for the New York Yankees.
More than 4,500 professional players swapped flannels for military uniforms, including future Hall of Famers like Bob Feller, Hank Greenberg, Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams.
More information about this bit of New York State’s baseball and military history can be found at the New York State Parks Blog, where weekly posts cover a variety of historical, natural, and other Parks topics.
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