As with many aspects of daily life, at the onset of WWII, baseball was temporarily put aside. Those who were able were enlisting, and the families at home were busy worrying about their soldiers and the day-to-day hardships of a country at war. Many wartime baseball stars enlisted to serve their countries, putting the future of competitive leagues in question with increasing numbers of players deserting their teams every day. American baseball stars Joe DiMaggio, Bob Feller, Stan Musial, and Ted Williams were a few of the most notable baseball players-turned-soldiers, while future legends of the game such as Jackie Robinson and Yogi Berra were also enlisted.
While professional baseball within Canada did not yet see nearly as much success as the American Major Leagues, amateur and semi-professional baseball was popular across the country. At the onset of the war, these Canadian leagues faced increased financial and logistical barriers. Canadian baseball leagues, such as the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL), the Québec Provincial League, and nearly all local senior leagues were heavily impacted by mass-enlistments into the military, due to the fact that the young, athletic men that made up these leagues were also the prime candidates for military service.
Parents who remained within Canada (often mothers who saw their partners and children signing up) risked losing not only their loved ones, but also the recreational activities which would keep their children active and distracted while awaiting any news from the war. At the same time as team rosters dwindled, women who had traditionally taken up household roles in their families, were called out to work for the war effort. While this marked the decline of mens’ occupational/company leagues, it allowed for women’s and girl’s softball to popularise within the country.
