Hugh Mulcahy, a right-handed pitcher who started regularly for the dismal 1940s-era Philadelphia Phillies, was the first MLB regular drafted to serve in World War II.

Inducted on March 8, 1941 — nine months before Pearl Harbor — Mulcahy lost five potentially productive MLB seasons.

Before the 27-year-old left in 1941 for Camp Edwards on Cape Cod, Mulcahy was full of vim and vigor. He predicted that a year away from professional baseball should not hamper his career. “I won’t be 28 until September,” explained the 6-foot-2-inch fireballer, “and they say that a pitcher’s prime comes between the ages of 28 and 31. So, by the time I come out of the army, I should be just about reaching my peak.”

Mulcahy’s optimism was, on the surface, hard to fathom. By the time 1941 rolled around, he had pu

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