Dugout to Foxhole: Interviews with Baseball Players Whose Careers Were Affected by World War II is a 1994 book written by Rick Van Blair. The book has been cited as a reference source for other baseball books.
Book Summary
The book contains interviews with the following players: Dick Bartell – Infielder with the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Giants and the Detroit Tigers. Bartell had a reputation as a "rowdy" and excitable player. Not mentioned in the book, Bartell served in the U.S. Navy from 1943–1945. Jimmy Bloodworth – Primarily a second baseman, Bloodworth played every position in the game during his career except pitcher and catcher. Teams that Bloodworth played for included the Washington Senators, Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, and Philadelphia Phillies. Bloodworth's military service is not discussed in Van Blair's book, but he served in the U.S. Army as a combat engineer from 1943–1946. Bloodworth's time in the service was spent wholly at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Bloodworth died at the age of 85 in Apalachicola, Florida. Mace Brown – A native of North English, Iowa, Brown played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Brooklyn Dodgers, and Boston Red Sox. During his career, Brown served in the U.S. Navy from 1944–1945, and was stationed on a number of islands in the Pacific area, to include Guam. A relief pitcher, Brown is best remembered for giving up a walk off home run to Gabby Hartnett that allowed the Chicago Cubs to take the 1938 National League pennant from the Pirates. Known as the Homer in the Gloamin', the play haunted Brown for the remainder of his life. After his career ended, Brown worked as a scout for the Red Sox and signed Hall of Fame player Jim Rice. In 1992, Brown died in Greensboro, North Carolina at the age of 92. Harry Craft – Craft played center field for the Cincinnati Reds from 1937–1942 and was a member of their World Series teams in 1939 and 1940. Craft served in the Navy from 1942–1946. After his military service time was over, Craft returned to baseball but never made it back to the major leagues. In 1948, Craft began a second career as a manager, managing at both the minor and major league levels to include managing the expansion Houston Colt .45s for their first three years. In 1995, Craft died in Conroe, Texas at the age of 80. Harry Danning – A four time all-star Danning was one of baseball's premier catchers in the 1930s. He spent his entire career with the New York Giants and played on their 1936 and 1937 World Series teams. Nicknamed "The Horse", Danning served in the U.S. Army from 1943–1946. In 2004, Danning died at the age of 93 in Valparaiso, Indiana.