The Yankees won another pennant, their second in a row, but were foiled in the World Series by the St. Louis Cardinals. The Yankees had it all - offense, defense, and great pitching. Next year, many of the league's best players went overseas to join the war effort; when they came back in 1946, the Yankees continued to win, but with a different cast of characters. This was the swan song of the great Yankee team of Joe DiMaggio's youth, that won six pennants in seven years, including five World Series.
        Even this year, the war had an effect on the player ranks in the American League. The best pitcher in baseball, Bob Feller, joined the army before the season, and didn't pitch another game until 1945. With Feller gone, the distinction for the league's best pitcher was up for grabs.

         The Yankees still had a pair of great veterans on their pitching staff, Lefty Gomez and Red Ruffing. But both were near the end of their careers; it was time for the New Yorkers to bring in some new stars, though not necessarily young ones. At age 29, Tiny Bonham was given his shot at a regular starting job. He made the most of it, and had a brilliant season. Bonham was a control pitcher, and was one of the earliest pitchers to use the forkball as his best pitch. Bonham's success was brief; he declined rapidly the next few years, despite pitching in a league depleted by the war. When the good players returned in 1946, Bonham's career quickly ended.
        Another Yankee pitcher who was coming into his own was Spud Chandler. Spud was 35 years old, and had been with the Yankees since 1937, usually working as a spare starter. He would follow this season up with two spectacular ones, before age brought his career to a halt. Chandler's nickname, "Spud", was not a reference to potatoes; it was just short for his real name, Spurgeon.
        As good as some of the Yankee pitchers were, I think the top pitcher in the AL this year was Boston's Tex Hughson. Big Tex was a workhorse who led the league in wins and innings pitched. His ERA was a little higher than Bonham's, but he also had to pitch in Fenway Park, a hitters' paradise. Hughson's career was short, but a good one; he continued to pitch well during the war, and afterwards, before injuries brought his career to an end later in the decade.
        The most remarkable season perhaps belonged to White Sox hurler Ted Lyons. Ted was 41 years old this year, and still managed to lead the league in ERA. Lyons pitched only once a week, to keep his arm fresh; but when on the mound, he was amazing, posting a great won-loss record with Chicago, the worst hitting team in the American League. Lyons joined the service next year, and tried to make a comeback in 1946, at age 45. He won only one game that year, and retired with 260 in his career.