Heroes
A quick look at a few of the many baseball heroes
By C. Philip Francis
Part 1
Prologue: Americans have always needed heroes, but especially during a time of crisis. During World War I we had General John Pershing and Airman Eddie Rickenbacker. In the 1920’s we began to look towards the sky and found Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart. Then came the Depression with the bank robbers, J. Edgar Hoover, and G-man Melvin Purvis that I can remember so well. In the dark days following Pearl Harbor the country was given a needed morale boost when Jimmy Doolittle’s B-25’s took off an aircraft carrier and headed for Tokyo.
As we are all still reeling from the events of Tuesday, September 11 that will also become part of our lives, we are again looking for heroes to help salve our numbing pains. Today it is the New York City’s firemen and policemen who gave their time and lives in order to help others, and President Bush who will lead us into something of which we do not know.
Many times we stood up to listen to, ignore, or mumble the words to the national anthem at ballparks over the country. Not now as we will find a more deep feeling, and a pride in and a love of our country. The Detroit Tigers’ left fielder, Bobby Higginson, recently said, “It definitely will be special the next time we hear it, and probably for a bunch of times after that. Every time you hear it, you’ll have to think about what happened. How can you ever forget September 11?”
Many baseball players have heeded their nation’s call in times of war, and while there are too many to list here who exchanged their flannels for khaki or helped others while ignoring their own safety. Here then is a look at some of our baseball heroes.
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MOE BERG: Casey Stengel called him “the strangest man to ever play baseball”, and although he never wore a uniform for the United States, he often posed as a German officer behind enemy lines. He was Moe Berg who was born Morris Berg in New York, NY on March 2, 1902, and was the embodiment of journeyman or third-string catcher in his fifteen-year career with five teams from 1923 through 1939. Moe retired with a lifetime batting average of .243, hit a total of six home runs, and did most of his work in the bullpen warming up the relief pitchers.
But Moe could hardly be called one who used the “tools of ignorance”. He was the foremost of all baseball intellectuals, an alumnus of three universities, a lawyer who could fluently speak at least 12 languages, and a spy for the United States before and during World War II. When a team of all-stars including Babe Ruth, Charlie Gehringer, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, and Moe Berg toured Japan in 1934, Moe gave a welcoming speech in Japaneese, and spoke before the Japanese legislature.
On one day when the Americans were scheduled to play a local team, Moe missed the game. He had put on a black kimono, bought flowers, and went to visit the United States ambassador’s daughter who had just had a baby. Moe never did see the new mother or child. Instead he went up to the roof, took out a movie camera, and took pictures of the Tokyo skyline. Berg’s movies were used for Doolittle’s bombing maps eight years later. Moe, now an atomic spy, was sent to Europe to determine how far along the German had progressed with nuclear weapons. He often worked behind enemy lines, and always carried a gun and poison so he could never be captured.
Berg refused to accept the highest honor for civilians during wartime, but did reluctantly agree to write his autobiography. When a publishing company representative told the former underground agent, “I loved all of your pictures”, Moe replied, “Who do you think I am?” “Why, aren’t you Moe of the Three Stooges?” The disgusted Moe Berg just walked out.
Moe died on May 29, 1972 following a fall in his apartment. If he had not been a real person, no one could have created him as a fictional character.
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TY COBB: Tyrus R. Cobb, the first player to be elected to the Hall of Fame was one of the many major league players who were in military service during World War I in 1917 and 1918. Cobb was a captain assigned to the Chemical Warfare Service and sent to France, but the war ended before he could participate in any action.
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CHRISTY MATHEWSON: Matty, also an early member of the Hall of Fame, enlisted in World War I as a captain and served on the Western Front. Both Cobb and Mathewson were gassed during a training exercise in France. Cobb was slightly ill, but Christy inhaled much more that might have led to the tuberculosis that killed him in 1925.
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Some of the game’s biggest stars that also wore military uniforms during World War I are: SAM RICE, HARRY HEILMAN, HERB PENNOCK, AND TRIS SPEAKER.
Next week: Part 2 on Baseball Heroes
Heroes
…two waitresses were being robbed at gunpoint
By C. Philip Francis
A look at more baseball heroes
Part 2
UMPIRE STEVE PALMERO: On July 7, 1991 the 43-year old Palmero was eating with friends in a Dallas, Texas restaurant after working a Texas-California game in Arlington. When a restaurant employee suddenly yelled out that two waitresses were being robbed at gunpoint by three thugs in the parking lot, Palmero and his party ran outside to help. Two men got away, but the other was apprehended after a mile chase. The others soon returned and fired five shots one of which hit the umpire causing paralysis from the waist down.
At the time of the shooting Steve was in his 15th year of American League, and a poll by The Sporting News had rated Palermo as the best overall arbiter and one of the most even-tempered umpires in the league. Although Steve went through much rehabilitation we do not believe he has ever called another ball game. The three gunmen were immediately apprehended with the shooter receiving 75 years, one was given five to six years, and the last was dealt with as a juvenile.
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HARVEY RIEBE: Riebe was born in Cleveland on October 10, 1921, and came up through the Detroit Tiger farm system as a catcher. He had the misfortune of starting his major league career in the year after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and appeared in only eleven games before he joined the United States Army. Riebe was aboard one of three troop ships crossing the English Channel on Christmas Eve, 1944 when a German submarine spotted them and fired. Harv, his sergeant, and a lieutenant all shook hands before jumping, and although hundreds perished that night, the three men survived. At one time Riebe knew that he had only minutes to live in the freezing winter waters when help came.
He received a Purple Heart from the sinking, and a second one when injured during the Battle of the Bulge. Harvey returned to work in 50 more games for the Tigers from 1947 through 1949 before retiring from the game. Like so many other young ballplayers Harv was proud to be able to give his prime playing years and perhaps a baseball career to his country.
Harvey was always pleased to receive the usual two or three weekly requests for his autograph that he happily signed right up to his death last spring. Many of his baseball and military anecdotes have often been shared with readers of Chatter from the Dugout from time to time.
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EDDIE GRANT: Eddie, an infielder for four teams in his ten-year career, retired from he game to start his law practice in New York City in 1915. When the United States entered World War I in 1917 Eddie was one of the first men to visit the recruiting office. He graduated from officers’ training school as captain, and was sent to France in July, 1918. When several companies became isolated in the Argonne Forest, Captain Eddie was with a group that attempted to free the trapped men. Grant was killed on October 5th when a German shell exploded nearby, and buried in Germany. The war ended five weeks later. A soldier later said, “A German cemetery is not the place for a brave American like Captain Grant”, and although his body may have been returned to the United States the location of his remains is unknown.
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HUGH MULCAHY: The Philadelphia Phillie pitcher was called “Losing Pitcher” after leading the National League in losses in 1938 and 1940, but surprisingly was chosen for the 1940 All-Star game. LP was the first major league ballplayer to be drafted into the military service for World War II, and spent almost five years in the army including 14 months in the Pacific jungles. Hugh came back with the Phillies, but won only three games in the next three years and drifted back into the minors before turning to coaching.
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ELMER GEDEON: Ohio born Gedeon played in five games as an outfielder for the Washington Senators in 1939, and was one of two major leaguers who died during World War II action. He had been a track star at the University of Michigan, but turned to baseball. After the country entered the war in December of 1941, Gedeon joined the Air Corps, and was killed on April 15, 1944 when his plane was shot down over St. Pol, France.
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HARRY O’NEILL: Harry was in one game for the Philadelphia A’s when he was sent in late for defensive purposes, and never came to bat. He died on the sands of Iwo Jimo on March 6, 1945.
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BOB NEIGHBORS: Bob was another big leaguer that briefly played in 1939 who died in action. Neighbors appeared in seven games for the St. Louis Browns at shortstop, and died on August 8, 1952 during the conflict in North Korea. .
Next week: Part 3 with more baseball heroes