The Cloudbuster Nine

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In 1943, while the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals vied for the World Series, a powerful baseball team practiced at a college field in North Carolina. Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky, and Johnny Sain were among the fighter-pilot cadets sporting the Cloudbuster Nine jersey at a prestigious Navy training school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Anne Keene’s father, Jim Raugh, served as the team’s batboy and mascot, forming personal connections with his baseball heroes. He witnessed players traveling on cramped buses and entertaining factory workers, children, and service members at numerous games, including a war-bond exhibition featuring Babe Ruth at Yankee Stadium. Although Jim pursued his baseball dreams as a college All-American, he faced disappointment with a failed major-league bid from the Detroit Tigers. This story might have remained untold had Anne not found his scrapbook from the Navy school that also shaped notable figures like George H.W. Bush and John Glenn. With contributions from World War II baseball veterans such as Dr. Bobby Brown and Eddie Robinson, the extraordinary story of this team is vividly recounted, revealing their significant role in the war effort.