Moe Berg
Catcher
Born: March 2, 1902(1902-03-02)
Died: May 29, 1972 (aged 70)
Batted: Right	Threw: Right
MLB debut
June 27, 1923 for the Brooklyn Robins
Final game
September 1, 1939 for the Boston Red Sox
Career statistics
Batting average	. Catcher is also a general term for a fielder who catches the ball in Cricket. Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good Year 1902 ( MCMII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles California, USA Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively 243
Hits	441
RBI	206
Teams
Brooklyn Robins (1923) Chicago White Sox (1926 – 1930) Cleveland Indians (1931, 1934) Washington Senators (1932 – 1934) Boston Red Sox (1935 – 1939)
Career highlights and awards
Member of 1933 American League pennant-winning Washington Senators Member of 1934 All Star team that toured Japan

Morris "Moe" Berg (March 2, 1902, New York, New York – May 29, 1972, Belleville, New Jersey) was an American professional baseball player who later served as a spy for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good Year 1902 ( MCMII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting The City of New York New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Belleville is a Township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each The Office of Strategic Services ( OSS) was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Although he spent 15 seasons in Major League Baseball, Berg was never more than an average player, and was better known for being "the brainiest guy in baseball"^[1] than for anything he accomplished in the game. The Bergs were never religiously observant, although being Jewish did contribute to Moe's sense of being an outsider in mid-twentieth century America. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ ^[2] Casey Stengel once described Berg as "the strangest man ever to play baseball. Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel ( July 30, 1890 - September 29, 1975) nicknamed "The Old Professor" was an American "^[3]

A graduate of Princeton University and Columbia Law School, Berg spoke several languages and regularly read 10 newspapers a day. Princeton University is a private Coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. Columbia Law School, located in New York City, is one of the professional schools of Columbia University, a member of the Ivy League. His reputation was fueled by his successful appearances as a contestant on the radio quiz show Information, Please!. Information Please was an American Radio Quiz show, created by Dan Golenpaul, which aired Berg answered questions about the derivation of words and names from Greek and Latin, historical events in Europe and the Far East, and ongoing international conferences. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. ^[4]

As an agent of the United States government, Berg traveled to Yugoslavia to gather intelligence on resistance groups the government was considering supporting. See also Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian He was then sent on a mission to Italy, where he interviewed various physicists concerning the German nuclear program. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. After the war, Berg was occasionally employed by the OSS's successor, the Central Intelligence Agency, but was unemployed by the mid-1950s. near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all He spent the last two decades of his life without work, living with various siblings.

Early life

Moe Berg was the third and last child of Bernard Berg, a pharmacist, and Rose Tashker, a homemaker, both Jewish, who lived in the Harlem section of New York City, New York, a few blocks from the Polo Grounds. Pharmacists are Health professionals who practice the art and science of Pharmacy. Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, long known as a major African American cultural and business center The City of New York New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different Stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City used by Baseball 's New York Giants When Berg was three and a half, he begged his mother to let him start school. In 1906, Bernard Berg bought a pharmacy in West Newark. Newark is the largest city in New Jersey, United States and the County seat of Essex County. In 1910 the Berg family moved again, to the Roseville section of Newark. Roseville is a neighborhood in northwestern Newark New Jersey, bordering Bloomfield and East Orange. Roseville offered Bernard Berg everything he wanted in a neighborhood — good schools, middle-class residents, and very few Jews. ^[5]

Berg began playing baseball, at the age of seven, for the Roseville Methodist Episcopal Church baseball team under the less ethnic pseudonym Runt Wolfe. For individual churches named Methodist Episcopal Church, see Methodist Episcopal Church (disambiguation The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes In 1918, at the age of 16, Berg graduated from Barringer High School. Barringer High School, formerly Newark High School, is a four-year comprehensive Public high school in Newark, in Essex County, During his senior season, the Newark Star-Eagle selected a nine-man "dream team" for 1918 from the city's best prep and public high school baseball players, and Berg was named the team's third baseman. The Star-Ledger is a Newspaper in the US state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. Baseball The United States curtails professional baseball September 2 in order to accelerate mobilization for war World Series A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in Baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of Barringer was the first in a series of institutions Berg joined in his life where his religion made him unusual. Most of the other students were East Side Italian Catholics or Protestants from Forest Hill, but there were not many Jews, just as Bernard wanted it. Forest Hill is an affluent pre-World War II neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey 's North Ward ^[6]

After graduating from Barringer, Berg enrolled in New York University. New York University ( NYU) is a private, Nonsectarian, Coeducational Research University in New York City. He spent two semesters there and played baseball and basketball. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m In 1919, he transferred to Princeton University and never again mentioned that he attended NYU for a year, presenting himself exclusively as a Princeton man. Princeton University is a private Coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. ^[7] Berg received a B.A., magna cum laude in modern languages. Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an Academic degree was earned He had studied seven languages: Latin, Greek, French, Spanish, Italian, German and Sanskrit. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical His Jewish heritage and modest finances combined to keep him on the fringes of Princeton society, where he never quite fit in. ^[8]

Moe Berg c. 1919, wearing a Princeton baseball team uniform.

During his freshman year, Berg played first base on an undefeated team. First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a Baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run Beginning in his sophomore year, he was the starting shortstop. Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and Third base. He was not a great hitter and was a slow baserunner, but he had a strong, accurate throwing arm and sound baseball instincts. In his senior season, he was captain of the team and had a . 337 batting average, batting . Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively 611 against Princeton's arch-rivals, Harvard and Yale. Crossan Cooper, Princeton's second baseman, and Berg communicated plays in Latin when there was a man on second base. ^[9]

On June 26, 1923, Yale defeated Princeton 5 – 1 at Yankee Stadium to win the Big Three title. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The original Yankee Stadium is a Stadium located in The Bronx in New York City. The Big Three is an historical term used in the United States to refer to Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. Berg had an outstanding day, getting two hits in four at bats (2 – 4) with a single and a double, and making several marvelous plays at shortstop. In Baseball, an at bat ( AB) or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including Batting average, On base In Baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching First base by hitting In Baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching Second base without being called out by the Umpire Both the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Robins desired "Jewish blood" on their teams, to appeal to the large Jewish community in New York, and expressed interest in Berg. The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles California, USA The Giants were especially interested, but they already had two future Hall of Famers at shortstop, Dave "Beauty" Bancroft and Travis Jackson. David James "Beauty" Bancroft ( April 20, 1891 - October 9, 1972) was an American Baseball player who played Travis Calvin Jackson ( November 2, 1903 in Waldo Arkansas - July 27, 1987) was a Major League Baseball player during the The Robins were a mediocre team, where Berg would have a better chance to play. On June 27, 1923, Berg signed his first big league contract for $5,000 with the Robins. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[10]

Major League career

Early career (1923 – 1925)

Berg's first game with the Robins came the very next day against the Philadelphia Phillies at the Baker Bowl. The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Baker Bowl is the best-known popular name of a Baseball park that formerly stood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Berg came in at the start of the seventh inning, replacing Dutch Ruether, when the Robins were winning 13 – 4. Walter Henry Ruether (born in Alameda California; September 29, 1893 - May 16, 1970) was an American Baseball Berg handled five chances without an error and caught a line drive to start a game-ending double play. In Baseball statistics|statistics]] an error is the act in the judgment of the Official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner This article is about Baseball. For double play Magnetic tape, see Audio tape length and thickness. He ended up going 1 – 1, getting a single up the middle off of Clarence Mitchell, and scoring a run. Clarence Elmer Mitchell ( February 22, 1891 in Franklin Nebraska - November 6, 1963 in Grand Island Nebraska) is ^[11] For the season, Berg batted . 186 and made 22 errors in 47 games. ^[12]

After the season ended, Berg took his first trip abroad, sailing from New York to Paris. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city He settled in the Latin Quarter in an apartment that overlooked the Sorbonne, where he enrolled in 22 different classes. The historic University of Paris (Université de Paris first appeared in the second half of the 13th century ^[13] In Paris he developed a habit he kept for the rest of his life: reading several newspapers daily. ^[14] Until Berg finished reading a paper, he considered it "alive" and refused to let anyone else touch it. When he was finished with it, he would consider the paper "dead" and anybody could read it. ^[3] In January 1924, instead of heading back to New York and getting himself into shape for the upcoming baseball season, Berg toured Italy and Switzerland. Baseball (Major League Washington Senators def New York Giants (4-3 in the World Series. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation ^[15]

During spring training at the Robins facility in Clearwater, Florida, Manager Wilbert Robinson could see that Berg's hitting had not improved, and optioned him to the Minneapolis Millers of the American Association. In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the Regular season. Clearwater is a City located in Pinellas County Florida, USA, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Wilbert Robinson ( June 29, 1863 – August 8, 1934) nicknamed "Uncle Robbie" was an American Catcher, coach The Minneapolis Millers were an American professional Minor league baseball team that played in Minneapolis Minnesota until 1960 This article refers to the former minor league that existed from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 Berg did not take the demotion well and threatened to quit baseball, but by mid-April he reported to the Millers. Berg did very well once he became the Millers regular third baseman, hitting close to . 330, but in July his average plummeted and he was back on the bench. On August 19, 1924 Berg was loaned to the Toledo Mud Hens, a poor team ravaged by injuries. Events 43 BC - Octavian, later known as Augustus compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul. Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor league baseball team located in Toledo Ohio. Berg was immediately inserted into the lineup at shortstop when Rabbit Helgeth refused to pay a $10 fine for poor play and was suspended. Major league scout Mike Gonzalez sent a telegram to the Dodgers evaluating Berg with the curt, but now famous, line, "Good field, no hit. Miguel Angel Gonzalez (Cordero ( September 24, 1890 - February 19, 1977) was a Cuban Catcher, coach and " Berg finished the season with a . 264 average. ^[16]

By April 1925, he was starting to show promise as a hitter with the Reading Keystones of the International League. Baseball (Major League Pittsburgh Pirates def Washington Senators in the World Series Baseball (Negro The International League ( IL) is a Minor league baseball league which operates in the eastern United States. Because of his . 311 batting average and 124 RBIs, the White Sox exercised their option they had with Reading, paying $6,000 for him, and moved Berg up to the big leagues the following year. The Chicago White Sox are a professional Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. ^[17]

Career as a catcher (1926 – 1934)

The 1926 season began with Berg informing the White Sox that he would skip spring training and the first two months of the season to complete his first year of law school at Columbia University, and Berg did not join the White Sox until May 28. Auto Racing Indianapolis 500 - Frank Lockhart Baseball (Negro League Rube Foster, founder Columbia University is a private University in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. Bill Hunnefield was signed by the White Sox to take Berg's place at shortstop, and was having a very good year, batting over . 300. Playing in only 41 games, Berg batted a lowly . 221. ^[18]

Berg returned to Columbia after the season to continue working on his law degree. Despite Charles Comiskey offering him more money to come to spring training, Berg declined, and informed the White Sox that he would be reporting late for the 1927 season. Charles Albert "The Old Roman" Comiskey ( August 15, 1859 &ndash October 26, 1931) was a Major League Baseball player Noel Dowling, a professor to whom Berg explained his situation, told Berg to take extra classes in the fall, and said that he would arrange with the dean a leave of absence from law school the following year, 1928. ^[19]

Because he reported late, Berg spent the first three months of the season on the bench. In August, a series of injuries to catchers Ray Schalk, Harry McCurdy, and Buck Crouse left the White Sox in need of somebody to play the position. Catcher is also a general term for a fielder who catches the ball in Cricket. Raymond William Schalk ( August 12, 1892 - May 19, 1970) was a Major League Baseball Catcher noted for his fine handling Schalk, the White Sox player/manager, selected Berg, who did a fine job filling in. Schalk arranged for former Philadelphia Phillies catcher Frank Bruggy to meet the team at their next game, against the New York Yankees. The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. Bruggy was so fat that pitcher Ted Lyons refused to pitch to him. Theodore Amar Lyons ( December 28, 1900 - July 25, 1986) was an American Professional baseball Starting pitcher When Schalk asked him who he wanted to catch, Lyons selected Berg. ^[20]

In Berg's debut as a starting catcher, he not only had to worry about catching Lyons's knuckleball, but also about facing the Yankees' Murderers' Row lineup, which included Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Earle Combs. A knuckleball (or knuckler for short is a Baseball pitch with an erratic unpredictable motion Murderers’ Row is also the title of a 1962 novel by Donald Hamilton and a 1966 Motion picture, Murderers’ Row, based on the book starring George Herman Ruth Jr (February 6 1895 &ndash August 16 1948 also popularly known as " Babe " " The Bambino " and " The Sultan of Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig ( June 19 1903  – June 2 1941) born Ludwig Heinrich Gehrig, was an American Earle Bryan Combs ( May 14 1899 &ndash July 21 1976) was an American Center fielder in Professional baseball Lyons beat the Yankees 6-3, holding Ruth hitless. Berg made the defensive play of the game when he caught a poor throw from the outfield, spun and tagged out Joe Dugan at the plate. Joseph Anthony (Joe Dugan ( May 12, 1897 - July 7, 1982) also nicknamed "Jumping Joe" was an American Third baseman Berg caught eight more times during the final month and a half of the season. ^[21]

To prepare for the 1928 season, Berg traveled to a lumber camp in New York's Adirondack Mountains three weeks prior to reporting to the White Sox spring training facility in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Adirondack Mountains are a Mountain range located in the northeastern part of New York, that runs through Clinton, Essex, Franklin Shreveport is the third-largest city and the principal city of the third largest Metropolitan area in the U The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America The hard labor did wonders for him, as he reported to spring training on March 2, 1928 in excellent shape. Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. By the end of the season, Berg had established himself as the starting catcher. ^[22]

At law school, Berg failed Evidence and did not graduate with the Class of 1929, but he did pass the New York State bar exam. A bar examination is an examination to determine whether a candidate is qualified to practice Law in a given Jurisdiction. Berg repeated Evidence the following year and on February 26, 1930 he received his LL.B.. Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Bachelor of Laws (abbreviated LLB, LLB or rarely LlB) is an undergraduate or bachelor degree in law offered in most Common law ^[23] On April 6, 1930, during an exhibition game against the Little Rock Travelers, Berg's spikes caught in the soil as he tried to change directions, and he tore a knee ligament. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Little Rock Travelers were an American Minor league Baseball team located in Little Rock Arkansas and members (1902-1910 1915-58 1960-61 ^[24]

Berg was back in the starting lineup on May 23, 1930, but his knee would not allow him to play every day. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He ended up getting into only 20 games the whole season and finished with a . 115 batting average. During the winter, he took a job with the respected Wall Street law firm, Satterlee and Canfield (now Satterlee, Stephens, Burke & Burke). Wall Street is a street in lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The Cleveland Indians picked up Berg on April 2, 1931 when Chicago put him on waivers, but he only played in 10 games, and had 13 at bats and only 1 hit for the entire season. The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[25]

The Indians gave Berg his unconditional release in January 1932, but with catchers hard to come by, Clark Griffith, owner of the Washington Senators, invited him to spring training in Biloxi, Mississippi. Auto racing Grand Prix racing - Main article 1932 Grand Prix season. Clark Calvin Griffith ( November 20, 1869 - October 27, 1955) nicknamed "the Old Fox" was a Major League Baseball The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mississippi ( is a state located in the Deep South of the United States Berg made the team, playing in 75 games while committing no errors. When starting catcher Roy Spencer went down with an injury, Berg stepped in, throwing out 35 base runners, while batting . 236. ^[27]

First trip to Japan

Retired ballplayer Herb Hunter arranged for three players, Berg, Lefty O'Doul, and Ted Lyons, to go to Japan to teach baseball seminars at Japanese universities during the Winter of 1932. Francis Joseph "Lefty" O'Doul ( March 4 1897 – December 7 1969) was an American Major League Baseball player who On October 22, 1932, the group of three players began their circuit of Meiji, Waseda, Rikkyo, Teidai (Tokyo Imperial), Hosei, and Keio universities, the members of the Tokyo Big Six University League. Events 202 BC - Hannibal Barca, leader of the Carthaginians, is defeated by the Roman legions under Scipio Africanus Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. is a Private university in Chiyoda, Tokyo, founded in 1881 by three emerging lawyers of the Meiji Era Tatsuo Kishimoto, Kozo often abbreviated to, is one of the top universities in Japan. also known as Saint Paul's University is a prestigious Japanese Christian University in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. The, abbreviated as, is a major Research university located in Tokyo, Japan. is a Private university based in Tokyo, Japan. Its baseball team plays as one of the Tokyo Big Six league. is a university located in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan as well as the oldest university in Japan established When the other Americans returned to the United States after their coaching assignments were over, Berg stayed behind to explore Japan. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the He went on to tour Manchuria, Shanghai, Peking, Indochina, Siam, India, Egypt and Berlin. Manchuria ( Romanized Manchu: Manju,, Маньчжурия Mongolian: Манж is a historical name given to a vast geographic region in northeast Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million Indochina, or the Indochinese Peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. ^[28]

Despite his desire to go back to Japan, Berg reported to the Senators training camp on February 26, 1933 in Biloxi, Mississippi. Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He played in 40 games during the season, and only batted . 185. The Senators won the pennant, but lost to the Giants in World Series. For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation. Cliff Bolton, the Senators starting catcher in 1933, demanded more money in 1934. Athletics June 9 &mdash Swiss runner Lina Aebersold sets a new word record in the women's 20 km walk in Zürich: 15902 When the Senators refused to pay him more, he sat out and Berg got the starting job. On April 22, 1934, Berg made an error, his first fielding mistake since 1932 — an American League record of 117 consecutive errorless games. Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. On July 25, the Senators gave Berg his unconditional release. He soon returned to the big leagues, however, after Cleveland Indians catcher Glenn Mayatt broke his ankle on August 1. The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Indians manager Walter Johnson, who had managed Berg in 1932, offered Berg the reserve catching job. Walter Perry Johnson ( November 6, 1887 – December 10, 1946) nicknamed "The Big Train" was an American right-handed Berg played sporadically until Frankie Pytlak, Cleveland's starting catcher, injured himself, and Berg became the starting catcher. ^[29]

Second trip to Japan

Herb Hunter arranged for a group of All-Stars, including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Earl Averill, Charlie Gehringer, Jimmie Foxx and Lefty Gomez, to tour Japan playing exhibitions against a Japanese all-star team. George Herman Ruth Jr (February 6 1895 &ndash August 16 1948 also popularly known as " Babe " " The Bambino " and " The Sultan of Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig ( June 19 1903  – June 2 1941) born Ludwig Heinrich Gehrig, was an American Howard Earl Averill ( May 21, 1902 - August 16, 1983) was an American player in Major League Baseball who was a Center Charles Leonard Gehringer ( May 11 1903 – January 21 1993) nicknamed “ The Mechanical Man,” was a Major League Baseball James Emory "Jimmie" Foxx ( October 22 - July 21) ( nicknamed Double X and The Beast) was an American First Vernon Louis "Lefty" Gomez ( November 26, 1908 – February 17, 1989) was a Portuguese-American [http//www Despite the fact that Berg was a mediocre, third-string catcher, he was invited at the last minute to make the trip. Among the items Berg took with him to Japan were a 16-mm Bell and Howell movie camera and a letter from MovietoneNews, a New York City newsreel production company that Berg had contracted to film the sights of his trip. Böwe Bell & Howell is a US -based former Manufacturer of Motion picture machinery Movietone News known in the US as Fox Movietone News, produced cinema sound Newsreels from 1928-1963 in the U When the team arrived in Japan, he gave a welcome speech in Japanese and also addressed the legislature. ^[30]

On November 29, 1934, while the rest of the team was playing in Omiya, Berg went to Saint Luke's Hospital in Tsukiji, ostensibly to visit the daughter of American ambassador Joseph Grew. Events 1777 - San Jose California, is founded as el Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Ōmiya was a city in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. In 2001 it merged with two other cities to form the city of Saitama. Tsukiji (築地 is a district of Chūō Tokyo, Japan, the site of the Tsukiji fish market. Instead, Berg sneaked onto the roof of the hospital, one of the tallest buildings in Tokyo, and filmed the city and harbor with his movie camera. He never did see the ambassador's daughter. Back at home, the Indians gave him his unconditional release. Berg continued on to the Philippines, Korea and Moscow. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of ^[31]

Late career (1935 – 1939)

After his return to America, Berg was picked up by the Boston Red Sox. The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. In his five seasons with the Red Sox, Berg averaged fewer than 30 games a season. ^[32]

On February 21, 1939, Berg made his first of three appearances on the radio quiz show, Information, Please!. Events 362 - Athanasius returns to Alexandria. 1245 - Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. After missing the first question, Berg put on a dazzling performance. ^[33] Of his appearance, Kenesaw Mountain Landis told him, "Berg, in just thirty minutes you did more for baseball than I've done the entire time I've been commissioner. Kenesaw Mountain Landis ( November 20 1866 &ndash November 25 1944) was an American Jurist who served as a federal "^[34] On his third appearance, Clifton Fadiman, the moderator, started asking Berg too many personal questions. Clifton Fadiman ( May 15, 1904 - June 20, 1999) was an American intellectual Author, Radio and Television Berg did not answer any more questions and never appeared on the show again. ^[34] Regular show guest John Kieran later said that "Moe was the most scholarly professional athlete (I) ever knew. John F Kieran ( August 2[[ 892]]&mdash December 9[[ 981]] was an American writer amateur naturalist and radio and television "^[35]

Coaching (1940 – 1941)

After his playing career ended, Berg was a Boston Red Sox coach in 1940 and 1941. The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions.

Post-baseball career

Spying for the U. S. Government

With the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese on December 7, 1941, the United States was thrust into World War II. The attack on Pearl Harbor (or Hawaii Operation, as it was called by the Imperial General Headquarters) was a surprise Military strike conducted by Events 43 BC - Marcus Tullius Cicero assassinated 1696 - Connecticut Route 108, one of the oldest highways Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including To do his part for the war effort, Berg accepted a position with Nelson Rockefeller's Office of Inter-American Affairs on January 5, 1942. Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller ( July 8, 1908 January 26, 1979) was the forty-first Vice President of the United States, the forty-ninth The United States government 's Office of Inter-American Affairs or Office for Coordination of Commercial and Cultural Relations between the American Republics Events 1477 - Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is killed and Burgundy becomes part of France. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Nine days later, his father, Bernard, died. ^[36] During the summer of 1942, Berg screened the footage he shot of Tokyo Bay for intelligence officers of the United States military. The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified military forces of the United States The film may or may not have helped Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle plan his famous Doolittle Raid. Lieutenant Colonel ( Lieutenant-Colonel in English from the French grade 's spelling is a rank of Commissioned officer in the armies General James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle USAF (14 December 1896 &ndash 27 September 1993 was an American Aviation pioneer The Doolittle Raid, 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese home island of Honshū ^[37]

From August 1942 until February 1943, Berg was on assignment in the Caribbean and South America. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a His job was to monitor the health and physical fitness of the American troops stationed there. Berg, along with several other OIAA agents, left in June 1943 because they thought South America posed little threat to the United States, and they wanted to be someplace where their talents would be put to better use. ^[38]

On August 2, 1943, Berg accepted a position with the Office of Strategic Services for a salary of $3,800 a year. Events 338 BC - A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Office of Strategic Services ( OSS) was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. In September, he was assigned to the Secret Intelligence branch of the OSS and given a place at the OSS Balkans desk. In this role, he parachuted into Yugoslavia to evaluate the various resistance groups operating against the Nazis to determine which was the strongest. See also Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian He talked to both Draza Mihajlovic and Josip Broz and reviewed their forces, deciding that Josip Broz had the stronger and better supported group. Dragoljub "Draža" Mihailović ( Cyrillic script: Драгољуб "Дража" Михаиловић also known as "Чича Дража" or " His evaluations were used to help determine the amount of support and aid to give each group. ^[39] In late 1943, Berg was assigned to Project Larson, an OSS operation set up by OSS Chief of Special Projects John Shaheen. The stated purpose of the project was to kidnap Italian rocket and missile specialists out of Italy and bring them to the U. A rocket or rocket vehicle is a Missile, Aircraft or other Vehicle which obtains Thrust by the reaction of the A missile (see also pronunciation differences) is a self-propelled explosive Projectile used as a weapon towards a target S. However, there was another project hidden within Larson called Project AZUSA with the goal of interviewing Italian physicists to see what they knew about Werner Heisenberg and Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker. Physics (Greek Physis - φύσις in everyday terms is the Science of Matter and its motion. Werner Heisenberg (5 December 1901 in Würzburg &ndash1 February 1976 in Munich) was a German theoretical physicist best known for enunciating the Carl Friedrich Freiherr von Weizsäcker ( June 28, 1912 &ndash 28 April 2007) was a German Physicist and Philosopher It was similar in scope and mission to the Alsos project. Operation Alsos was an effort at the end of World War II by the Allies (principally Britain and the United States) branched off from the ^[40]

From May to mid-December, Berg hopped around Europe interviewing physicists and trying to convince several to leave Europe and work in America. At the beginning of December news about Heisenberg giving a lecture in Zurich, Switzerland reached the OSS, and Berg was assigned the task of attending the lecture and determining "if anything Heisenberg said convinced him the Germans were close to a bomb. Zürich (, Zürich German: Züri, Zurich, Zurigo; in English generally Zurich) is the largest city in Switzerland and capital of the Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. " If Berg came to the conclusion that the Germans were close, he had orders to shoot Heisenberg; Berg determined that the Germans were not close. During his time in Switzerland, Berg became close friends with the physicist Paul Scherrer. Paul Scherrer (1890-1969 was a Swiss Physicist. He was born in Herisau, Switzerland. Berg returned to the United States on April 25, 1945, and resigned from the Strategic Services Unit, the successor to the OSS, in August. Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar The Strategic Services Unit was an Intelligence agency of the United States government which existed in the immediate post- World War II period He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on October 10, but he rejected the award on December 2. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is a decoration bestowed by the President of the United States and is along with the equivalent Congressional Gold Medal bestowed His sister later accepted it on his behalf after he died. ^[41]

After World War II

In 1952, Berg was hired by the CIA to use his old contacts from World War II to gather information about Soviet atomic science. For the $10,000 plus expenses that Berg received, the CIA got nothing in return. The CIA officer who spoke with Berg when he returned from Europe said that he was "flaky. "^[42]

For the next 20 years, Berg had no real job, living off friends and relatives who put up with him because of his great charm. When they would ask what he did for a living, he would reply by putting his finger to his lips, giving them the impression that he was still a spy. ^[43] He lived with his brother Samuel for 17 years. According to Samuel, he became moody and snappish after the war and did not seem to care for much in life besides his books. His brother finally grew fed up with the arrangement and asked Moe to leave and even had eviction papers drawn up. ^[3] After being evicted from his brother's home, Berg moved in with his sister Ethel in Belleville, New Jersey, where he remained for the rest of his life. ^[44]

He received a handful of votes in Baseball Hall of Fame voting (4 in 1958, and 5 in 1960).

Berg was dark, heavy-featured, mysterious, sybaritic, courageous, and impeccably mannered. Sybaris ( Greek:) was a celebrated city of Magna Graecia on the western shore of the Gulf of Taranto. Women were attracted to the cultured, lifelong bachelor. When he was criticized for "wasting" his intellectual talent on the sport he loved, Berg replied: "I'd rather be a ballplayer than a justice on the U. S. Supreme Court. "[1]

Berg received many requests to write his memoirs, but turned them down; he almost wrote them in 1960, but he quit after the co-writer assigned to him confused him with Moe Howard of the Three Stooges. Moe Howard ( June 19, 1897 – May 4, 1975) was one of the Three Stooges, the Slapstick comedy team who starred in The Three Stooges were an American Vaudeville and Comedy act of the early to mid–20th century best known for their numerous Short subject films ^[3]

Death

Moe Berg died on May 29, 1972, at age 70, from injuries sustained in a fall at home. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A nurse at the Newark, New Jersey hospital where he died recalled his final words as, "How did the Mets do today?" (They won. "Mets" redirects here For the medical term see Metastasis. )^[45] His remains were cremated and spread over Mount Scopus in Israel. Mount Scopus ( Hebrew הַר הַצּוֹפִים ( Har HaTzofim) Arabic جبل المشارف Ǧabal al-Mašārif, For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. It has been said he really did want to write his memoirs; however, his death precluded that. Thus, much of his life remained a mystery that he took to the grave with him.

Legacy

Berg was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1996,^[46] and the Baseball Reliquary’s Shrine of the Eternals in 2000. The National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, in Commack New York, is dedicated to honoring American Jewish sports figures who have distinguished The Baseball Reliquary is a nonprofit educational organization "dedicated to fostering an appreciation of American art and culture through the context of Baseball history ^[47] His is the only baseball card on display at the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency. A baseball card is a type of Trading card relating to baseball usually printed on some type of Paper stock or card stock near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all ^[48]

In 1976, Louis Kaufman, Barbara Fitzgerald, and Tom Sewell wrote Moe Berg: Athlete, Scholar, Spy. In 1994 Nicholas Dawidoff wrote a biography, The Catcher Was a Spy: The Mysterious Life of Moe Berg.

See also

• Chicago White Sox all-time roster
• Los Angeles Dodgers all-time roster

Notes

References

• Moe Berg:Catcher and spy. ESPN Classic. Retrieved on 2005-04-06. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
• Fangraphs stats
• Baseball Cube profile
• BR Bullpen profile
• Baseball Library profile
• Annotated bibliography for Berg from the Alsos Digital Library for Nuclear Issues
• Jewish Sports Hall of Fame bio
• "Secrets, Lies, and Atomic Spies"
• Jewish-American Hall of Fame
• Moe Berg Biography at J-Grit: The Internet Index of Tough Jews