In Part Two of Ted’s Notebook, we explore two very different stories connected by perseverance, sacrifice, and the determination to keep going.

First, we remember pitcher Tommy John—not only for the revolutionary surgery that bears his name, but for the courage and hard work required to rebuild his career afterward. His comeback changed baseball and opened the door for countless athletes who might otherwise have lost their careers.

Then we head to sea, comparing the hardships endured by sailors across the centuries—from the dangerous voyages of Magellan and Captain Cook, through the brutal conditions faced aboard ships and aircraft carriers during World War II, to the sailors serving aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln today.

The ships, technology, food, and medical care have changed dramatically, but long separations, isolation, u ...