_jinx_

MFNYC, you came close. Moe Berg graduated from Princeton in 1923 and signed on as a flat-footed shortstop with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He switched to catcher with the Chicago White Sox and later played (very little) with the Cleveland Indians and Washington Senators. He wound up his big league career as a third-string catcher with the Boston Red Sox from 1935-1939.

He was/is an original Renaissance Man. Two college degrees, a law degree, fluent in from 7 to 27 languages (one baseball man said, "Yeah, but he can't hit in any language!!&quot. A real mystery man who would disappear at the drop of a hat, Ted Williams once said that he never saw Moe smile. But he charmed people.

He joined the OSS as a spy in 1943 and was very active in Europe ferreting out German nuclear activities. He ignored regulations and refused to account for his expenses. Yet, he was a very effective spy.

The OSS dropped Moe after the war and he was lost. Spying was his calling and he always considered himself "active". He read 10-12 newspaper each day. For the nest 25 years or so Moe sponged off his many friends and acquaintances--never offering to pay for anything.

Controversy surrounds his demise. Supposedly he passed away in 1972. But people claim to still receive correspondence from Moe. He always dressed in a grey suit, white shirt, and black tie.

There are Moe Berg fan clubs and admiration societies. I am starting one up here in Austin--hence my plea for any sighting of Moe. I sure want to invite him to our meeting. Thanks for your help--and keep an eye out for Moe!!

"The Catcher Was a Spy" is a great biography of Moe Berg.

Cheers,

Jinx Hoover

cmt

Some of us were totally mystified when you started that first thread. http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34547031 I wasn't sure whether it was meant to be the beginning of some round-robin storytelling thread.

MFNYC

If I remeber correctly (my son read that book), his last words were "How are the Mets doing?".

ncgrrl

There is also:

Moe Berg: Athlete, Scholar, Spy
by Louis Kaufman, Barbara Fitzgerald an Tom Sewell

grosenb

This was lots of fun as a round robin story telling thread. Interesting man, guess I will have to read the book instead of reading your creative replies.

Gail

Ryan

Moe apparently was somewhat of an absent minded spy. I read one story that said he wore his OSS issued watch on a mission.

One story you didn't mention was that Moe was "invited" to join a team of major league All-Stars on a tour of Japan in the 1930s. Babe Ruth and other well known stars were there and no one could quite figure out why this weak hitting back-up catcher was included. Years later when it was revealed that Moe's home movies provided the landmarks and targets for Jimmy Dolittle's Raid on Tokyo, Moe's reason for being on the tour became clear.

_jinx_

Moe stories are legion. He purchased and read a dozen newspapers a day. Berg was particular about his newspapers. Until he had finished reading a paper, it was "alive" and nobody else could touch it. When he had finished, which he often signaled by throwing it on the floor, the paper was "dead" and no longer sacrosanct. One of his roommates in baseball once made the mistake of tossing some of Moe's "live" papers--and quickly became an ex-roomie.