Vices, Let's Talk Baseball, Part 1 of 4. Host R. Anthony Arnold. In World War 2 soldiers were given amphetamines, the drugs we use to help treat ADHD, to help them stay alert and awake. We’re talking tens of millions of pills. And after the war, some of those soldiers not only returned home, but they went back to baseball. It’s unimaginable now, but over 500 baseball players served in the military. Players like Jackie Robinson and Ted Williams.

And when those players returned to baseball, they brought their amphetamines, or “greenies”, back with them.