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SBL Players Begin Enlistment
The War was on, and SimNation needed able-bodied Sims to bring the fight. S.N. enlisted the services of men between the age of 18 and 38 through conscription, or "the draft."
SimNation knew, though, that baseball was a part of the fabric of life at home, and Sims needed a sense of normalcy while soldiers fought overseas. S.N. and the SBL agreed to keep the game running as scheduled. As part of that agreement, 25 SBL players would need to volunteer their services each year. As it turned out, the SBL had no shortage of volunteers who wanted to join the fight.
Among those players sacrificing one year of their lives in 1956 were:
Wes Alexander: On the verge of 3,000 career strikeouts (41 shy at the age of 38), the Maxis City pitcher immediately volunteered to serve.
*Mark Loudoun: A two-time All-Star outfielder, Loudoun had a breakout season in 1946, batting .343 with 16 homeruns in 99 games. Sadly, Loudoun was the first casualty among SBL war veterans when his plane was shot down in Europe. He was 32 years old.
William Martin: Martin was just one year removed from an All-Star selection at first base for Sim City (.316, 14 HR, 98 RBI in 1955), but wasted no time enlisting.
*Doc McManus: An MVP second baseman for the Ducks in 1948, McManus was a 10-time All-Star for Dullsville and Fort Dodge. Doc quickly rose through the ranks in the S.N. Army, choosing to stay overseas after his initial year of service. He never played again, and was killed in action as a sergeant in 1959.
Mark Turner: A two-time All-Star pitcher for Atlantis, Turner won a career-high 19 games with 145 strikeouts the year before he enlisted.
* = Killed in Action
Other SBL players who bravely served SimNation and its cause for the 1957 season:
Walt Baldwin - 2B, Granite Falls
Mark Bass - SS, Bayouville
Gavin Bradley - 3B, Appaloosa
Terry Brown - P, Granite Falls
Tommy Burton - 2B, Northgate
Chris Cleaves - C, Dixie
Peter Donavich - 3B, Dullsville
Brian Gaines - SS, Rocklyn
Paul Gray - P, Lucky Palms
Andrew "Ape" Hill - P, Lucky Palms
Christian Johnson - 3B, Dixie
Danny Kemp - 1B, Freeport
Brent Knox - RF, Santo Cielo
Mark "Mule" Moore - 2B, Granite Falls
Joe Neal - SS, Westwood
Vaughn Phillips - SS, Appaloosa
John Richards - CF, Arcopolis
Keith Saunders - P, Atlantis
Peter Stuart - C, Lucky Palms
Dave Wilson - SS, Arcopolis
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