A Phillies pitcher was the first MLB player drafted into World War II on this week in Philly history
Hugh "Losing Pitcher" Mulcahy entered military service on March 8, 1941.
Maybe all the good nicknames were taken.
Hugh Mulcahy was all of 21 when he made his major league debut with the Phillies in 1935.
Over the next few years, the right-handed pitcher proved to be a workhorse, logging 200 innings each season between 1937 to 1940. In 1937 alone, he pitched in 56 games.
He also lost a whole lot of baseball games.
He pitched on Philllies squads that lost more than 100 games three times.
He lost 20 games in 1938, and 22 games in 1940, leading the National League in losses both years.
He was a bright spot on otherwise pitiful teams, and in 1940, he was one of three Phillies selected to the National League All-Star team. But he didn’t get into the game.
He went on to lose a record 12 consecutive games that season.
Fans dubbed him “Losing Pitcher” Mulcahy. Talk about earning a nickname the hard way.
But then, in spring of 1941, he finally joined a winning side.
On March 8, 1941, as his Phillies teammates reported for spring training in Miami Beach, Fla., the then-27-year-old pitcher became the first MLB player drafted into the military during World War II.
Mulcahy sent a telegram to his club, which was shown to the team.
“Sorry I won’t be able to make the trip,” he wrote, “but best of luck to all of you.”
He would later be joined in the war by more than 500 ballplayers, including such legends as Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and Stan Musial.
Mulcahy was drafted into the U.S. Army and sent to Camp Edwards in Cape Cod, Mass.
He spent just under five years in the military, and mostly served with the U.S. Army stateside and in the Pacific. He often played ball for camp teams and in various Army events.
For his service, he was awarded the Bronze Star.
The master sergeant was discharged on Aug. 5, 1945, and joined his Phillies teammates a week later.
He walked onto the diamond at Shibe Park on Aug. 26 for his first game back, and received a rousing ovation from more than 11,000 Philly fans.
But the excitement was short lived, as they lost to the Boston Braves, 6-5, in the opening game of a double-header.
But, hey, at least now they also called him veteran.