BRAVES FIELD

When I was young during WW II I traveled to Braves Field to watch the Boston Braves play. We sat in the right field bleachers where you could get in for a quarter. What I remember was when the ball was hit into the stands the spectators were required to throw the ball back onto the field as there was a  shortage of balls during the War. The players that played were the ones that were not fit for the military. You might call them the Over the Hill Gang.

The player who impressed me the most was Pete Gray. He impressed me because he had only one arm. He played the outfield and it was uncanny how he could catch the ball and magically shift glove and ball then throw the ball into the infield. He batted one handed and hit very well. He must have hated the War to end because he was no longer needed when the regular players returned.

I never considered him handicapped. He was an inspiration to all of us that saw him play. He played as well if not better than most players in the league at that time. It was only when Ted Williams came back out of the service that I switched my allegiance from the Braves to the Red Sox.