In honor of Veterans Day, ESPN is running several stories by and about athletes who have served in the military. Ralph Kiner joined the Navy after World War II and became a pilot. He tells his story here.
It’s a nice remembrance by a member of the “Greatest Generation.” Kiner enlisted at age 19 and was on active duty for 3 1/2 years. He made his major-league debut at 23 in 1946, after the war had ended. Kiner writes:
“But luckily, I was young enough to handle my time in the service and then come right back and play. I always get a kick out of young guys these days missing a small amount of time and then talking about having to get back in shape. When you are young, you can get back in shape in a week, tops!”
One can only imagine what Kiner really thought of the 2009 Mets.
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