By Geoff Walter / SNY.tv

 

 

Greetings from the shoreline! Well, not really. I happily gave up hours of waiting in traffic that was backed up bumper-to-bumper on the Long Island Expressway for miles upon miles years ago. I used to just be able to go out on a Friday, but in order to beat the crowds it eventually became Thursday, and now everyone else does that too, so I'd simply rather not try. Besides, somehow the column needs to be written, and I can't really do that from behind a steering wheel, can I?

 

So as you're reading this somewhere preferably cool (or at least with access to a pool, ocean, or some body of water), grilling up some burgers or hot dogs and settling in for a ball game, the real purpose for Memorial Day isn't any of those material trappings, but to honor those who paid with their lives in service of our country. No this won't be a history lesson, just a small request that as you're sitting in traffic, firing up the barbecue, spending time with the kids at the beach, or whatever else today, pause for a moment (it doesn't have to be long), and remember those who are responsible for your day off from work. Note: 3 p.m. local time is the official time when all Americans are encouraged to pause and reflect. You can even post some tribute to a favorite ballplayer below if the mood strikes.

They are not the faceless patriots that you may imagine, but members of our own family, friends, and colleagues. Even between the baselines, and giving rise to one of the eternal arguments in baseball: If not for World War II, could/ would many of the players have been better than they were? Were they truly robbed of their prime years when they enlisted? In an online chat with fans from Cooperstown, Cleveland pitcher Bob Feller was asked if he had any regrets about serving in the Navy in the Pacific. Feller was as sure as the day he enlisted, saying that at the time "sports were very insignificant."

These players (to name but a few) felt the same way: Bill Dickey (Navy) Joe DiMaggio (Air Force), Bob Lemon (Navy), Larry MacPhail (Army), Johnny Mize (Navy), Red Ruffing (Air Force), Red Schoendienst (Army), Warren Spahn (Army), Pee Wee Reese (Navy), Jackie Robinson (Army), Hoyt Wilhelm (Army), Ted Williams (Marines).

Wanna argue with the Ref? Don't like the call? Go ahead and make your own!