There have been many athletes with unusual lives outside of sports, but none more compelling than that of catcher turned spy Moe Berg.
Born in raised Harlem to a pharmacist and a homemaker, Morris “Moe” Berg was always interested in languages and baseball. Considering the fact that his parents were Jews from Europe and that he lived in a predominantly non-Jewish community, he picked up Yiddish and English rather quickly. Soon, he’d be off to Princeton University to play baseball, though his dad wanted him to follow in his profession, or at least study for a high-paying job like a lawyer. “He could speak 12 languages, but he couldn’t hit in any of ‘em,” is one of the most notable quotes about the Princeton graduate. Moe Berg is remembered in New Jersey as the greatest baseball player in Princeton history. Though he was a shortstop, then, he’d soon be converted to a catcher after the catcher the White Sox had signed turned out to be too fat. He couldn’t maneuver well enough behind the plate to stop all the pitches, so Moe Berg volunteered. There was only one issue, Moe Berg had never even put on the shin guards in his life and the man on the mound, Ted Lyons, was tossing a mean knuckleball which would cause Berg to be in a dangerous position to miss the ball and catch with an unprotected area. One more thing, they were facing the 1920’s New York Yankees Murderer’s Row lineup. Against the Bronx’s Ruth and Gehrig, Moe Berg would be outstanding, thus beginning his career behind the plate. The majority of Berg’s career would be spent with the Chicago White Sox, Washington Senators, and Boston Red Sox. On a major league tour of Japan, Moe Berg, who may have played well in 1926 for a couple games, but was never that good again, was taken along and many thought it quite odd. Turns out, he spoke Japanese, just by coincidence, and, just by coincidence, he had some business with some government officials shortly beforehand. After his baseball career and during World War II, the Office of Strategic Services would make him a spy for the United States. What was his mission, you ask? Well, I’ll give you a little important info on it: it’d be a Jewish man from Harlem, New York, heading straight into Nazi Germany. He’s a Jew, in Nazi Germany, during World War II, and his mission is to listen to a physics lecture in German, decipher whether or not the Nazis were close to inventing the atomic bomb, and if so, kill Werner Heisenberg, the man leading their research, all while avoiding being caught because if he was caught, he’d be killed. Odds are kind of stacked against him, huh? Thanks to Moe Berg’s undercover research, the US was able to uncover the fact that Germans were nowhere close to creating the bomb. Berg, fortunately, was able to return safely to the states without having to kill Heisenberg. He didn’t have a glamorous baseball career, but his service to this country is a great achievement. Jesse A. Cook April 20, 2017 “The Catcher Was A Spy”
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Bartolo Colón, nicknamed “Big Sexy,” is taking a leap of faith… towards the basket.
Oh, it does come as quite a surprise to baseball fans, but the future Chicago Bull, when interviewed by ESPN representatives about going reverse-Jordan, said “It's a very special feeling to do it for one team, unlike what I did before.” He’s of course talking about how he’ll remain loyal to his Bulls fans, unlike how he traveled from organization is his 20 year, and eight team, career. Colón will finish his 20th season this year with the Atlanta Braves, but he will reportedly join the Bulls organization in the 2018-2019 season. He’s expressed how he wants to end the 2017 MLB season, but spend a year training so he can be at his “Peak ability.” Bartolo will join names like Deion Sanders, Danny Ainge, Tim Tebow, Bo Jackson, and Michael Jordan to switch sports at what Colón called “The middle of my career.” The almost 44 year old expects to have a good 10 years in the NBA. Is that so crazy? At first glance, it’s a bit unbelievable, but Big Bad Bart may have a point: he’s played baseball for this long and he has no intention of retiring anytime soon, many baseball players, including Jamie Moyer, Bronson Arroyo, and Ichiro Suzuki, played and are playing well into their forties, and Colón is one of the more agile pitchers in the game. Does it seem so insane, now? He has impeccable aim and often times, that can translate pretty smoothly to perfect aim on the court. There have been plenty of successful, large basketball players: Glenn Davis, Jared Sullinger, and Oliver Miller are only a few of the players in that category. Bartolo is a rather fast character and if baseball can no longer satisfy his sporting needs, why not give him a “shot?” He’s agile, he can move, he’s got great aim, and if I saw that racing down the court towards me, I would not want to get in his way. Braves fans will have Bartolo for the rest of the season and he’s expressed how excited he is to get a chance to play with Dansby Swanson, Freddie Freeman, R.A. Dickey, Matt Kemp, and Julio Teheràn. Colón is expected to have an impressive season with Atlanta, but several Bulls fans have made custom Colón jerseys. One fan stated that “Big Bart deserves the MLB and NBA Hall of Fame!” Strong words, but Colón could make it to Cooperstown if he plays a few more years, which does make his intersport transition a tad upsetting. Bart is also the last active player to have spent time on the Montréal Expos. His absence from the ballgame truly marks the end of an era. Everybody is a little upset, but still quite intrigued about this switch from the ballfield to the court. Sure, Benny the Bull may end up looking a bit larger than usual, but Big Bart will make a huge impact on the National Basketball Association. Colón will finish his 20th season in Major League Baseball, spend a year training for basketball, then start his NBA career with the Chicago Bulls in the 2018-2019 season. We’ve had a lot of fun with him in baseball and we’ve had way more fun with all you viewers on the wonderful April Fools’ Day. Happy April Fools’ Day, but in all seriousness, baseball begins on Monday, April 3rd. Unfortunately for me, April 1 is my birthday, so I apologize for all those victims who share the misfortune of having been born on a day where people prank you and, in France, slap fishes on your back. Happy April Fools’ Day, and let’s hope for a baseball season as fantastic as the last one! Jesse A. Cook April 1, 2017 “Big Sexy To Basketball: Bartolo Colón Leaves For The NBA” |
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