Nearly 117,000 Americans died fighting in World War I
Today is Veteran’s Day, when we honor those who have served in the American military, past and present. This year, Veteran’s Day just happens to fall on the 100th anniversary of the ending of World War I.
The “War to End All Wars” famously came to a close when an armistice was signed among the combatants at the “11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month” in 1918 after more than four bloody years of battle.
Nearly 10 million died and more than 20 million more were injured among the combined armed forces of the Allied powers, which included the United States, and the Central powers led by the German Empire. Over 7.5 million civilians were also killed on the combined sides.
Major League Baseball teams were not immune from the casualties. Large numbers of players fought in the war, and a number of them never returned home.
Among those killed were two men with ties to the Philadelphia Phillies organization, Eddie Grant and Bun Troy.
Grant was born on May 21, 1883 in Franklin, Maine. He was nicknamed “Harvard Eddie” for the simple reason that he was a graduate of that prestigious Ivy League institution.
After signing with the Cleveland Naps (now Indians) in 1905, Grant made his big-league debut with them, appearing in two games that year. He was ultimately released, signed on with Jersey City of the Eastern League, and then had his contract purchased by the Phillies in August 1906.
Gant would play for the next four seasons as a regular with the Phillies, appearing in 527 games as the team’s starting third baseman. The team produced a winning record in three of his four seasons from 1907-10. He led all of baseball in at-bats in both 1908 and 1909, and in plate appearances in 1909.
On November 12, 1910 the Phillies packaged Grant along with starting center fielder Johnny Bates and solid pitchers Lew Moren and George McQuillan to the Cincinnati Reds.
In exchange the Phillies received Hans Lobert and Dode Paskert, who proved to be upgrades at the hot corner and in center field, as well as a pair of pitchers who never really panned out in Fred Beebe and Jack Rowan.
Then in June 1913, Grant had his contract purchased by the New York Giants. This led to his lone World Series appearance. That fall he got to pinch-run in the top of the 10th inning of Game 2 at Shibe Park against Connie Mack‘s Philadelphia Athletics.
