The game became a profit-making venture and disputes about money led to civil lawsuits, like the 1933 trial involving player endorsements and the famous Louisville Slugger bat. The separate activities of the Major Leagues and the Negro Leagues paralled the segregation that existed in the military through the World War II era. The war interrupted the careers of many professional ballplayers, but the game itself continued on as a healthy diversion from the troubles of that time.