The modern United States Navy Baseball Club was founded by retired U.S. Navy Commander Terry Allvord in Pensacola, Florida in 1990 before moving to San Diego for the 1993 season. This program is the leader in armed forces baseball in the modern era. Allvord went on to establish over 40 single-service armed forces teams in every branch of the military around the globe. Tryouts are held every year to form the most talented military and first responders team to compete as the U.S. Military All-Stars during the annual "Red, White and Blue Tour" The team features active duty, reserve, veterans, Delayed Entry Program and first responders. The continuation of two wars has limited the availability of armed forces players. As a result, beginning in 2010, the team will be known as the "Heroes of the Diamond" allowing a limited number of former MLB, current professional, summer collegiate and first responders the opportunity to join the tour. Players interested in the military and willing to support the mission will continue to pay their own expenses while off-duty to compete against the finest professional, independent and summer collegiate programs in the world. Mission statement To promote the awareness of Americans in support of the honorable sacrifices our armed forces make at the tip of the spear. History The origin of United States Armed Forces Baseball has been traced as far back as the American Civil War (1860–1865). For over a century, military baseball has been utilized as a successful tool to improve recruiting efforts and the morale of both the armed services and the American people. Following World War I, major league stars such as Ty Cobb and Christy Mathewson served their country while playing on teams overseas and at home. Military baseball reached its peak of popularity during World War II (1941–1945) as baseball legends Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Hank Greenberg and Bob Feller headed the list of major league professionals playing on service teams. Military baseball also served as a conduit to post-war reconstruction efforts and international relations most notably in Japan. Military baseball support was extremely limited in scope during the Korean War (1950–1952) and finally, the Vietnam War (1965–1974), when politicians began the systematic dismantling of the military infrastructure and force strength. Baseball was slowly phased out and went dormant along with the decline of the armed forces. Modern era In 1990, the United States experienced a renaissance