A small, yellowed card in the "Babe Ruth" file at the Lebanon County (Pa.) Historical Society is both funny and revealing.
This month America is commemorating the 100th anniversary of its entry into World War I. In the jingoistic confusion of April 1917, baseball and several other sports assumed they would be shut down for the duration.
"Sportsmen Will Not Be Found Wanting When Call To Arms Is Heard," read a banner headline atop the April 7 Inquirer's sports page.
But as leagues and organizations waited for direction from Washington, the games went on. Finally, in May 1918, the Selective Service Division issued a "Work or Fight" edict.