This paper will focus on the impact of World War II upon the game of baseball. It will explore the response of Major League Baseball to the war effort on both the homefront and the military. Major League players reacted to patriotic fervor by enlisting in the armed services in droves. Extraordinary sacrifices were made by the owners, the players, and the fans in their effort to support the war. The constraints of the war culminated in a struggle between owners, players, draft boards and congressional leaders to preserve the game during this period of acute manpower shortages. World War II challenged the survival skills of the nation as well as the survival skills of American Baseball. But, in order to fully understand the scope of this topic, a brief discussion concerning the historical background of baseball and its connection to American patriotism and even war itself is required.