BASEBALL

Today, the Cincinnati Reds kick off the foreshortened Major League baseball season.    In recognition of that event, I want to bring you up-to-date on the greatest Major League catcher of all time. No, I'm not talking about Johnny Bench or Yogi Berra.  The top one is Morris "Moe" Berg.  This is his story.  

Moe was a Jewish boy from Harlem.  He went to Princeton University and received a BA in Modern Languages - he graduated Magna Cum Laude.  He played shortstop in school and attracted major league attention.  He signed a contract right out of college with the Brooklyn Robins.  He made $5,000 in 1923. 

He got off to a slow start in the "Bigs" and kicked around to several minor league teams until he ended up with the Chicago White Sox. He drew their displeasure because he chose going to Law School over coming to spring training.  He had a few good years with the White Sox but was waived to Cleveland after an injury.  After a year in Cleveland, he was traded to the Washington Senators then back to Cleveland.  

After the 1934 season, an "All-Star"  team was selected to tour Japan and play their teams.  Included were Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Lefty Gomez, Jimmy Foxx (to name a few of the Hall-of-Famers) and Moe Berg.  It didn't fit.  Moe was a back-up catcher at best but he could speak many languages including Japanese.  .  

The inside story was this.  Moe was working for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS now the CIA).    Moe was a spy.  One of the best we had all through World War II.  He went to Japan on that trip with a movie camera and provided pictures we used in attacking that country a few years later - and ending the war.  During the war, he was involved in many European operations for the CIA.

Morris Berg was awarded the United States Medal of Freedom (our nation's highest civilian honor) by President Harry Truman for his work with the CIA.  If you have his baseball card, hang on to it.  A true American Hero.

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