Gerald Braheen Moses (August 9, 1946 – March 26, 2018) was an American professional baseball player. A catcher, he signed a bonus contract with the Boston Red Sox in 1964 and spent his early Major League Baseball career with the Bosox, but over the course of his nine years in MLB Moses would play for seven different teams. He batted and threw right-handed, stood 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall and weighed 210 pounds (95 kg).
| Jerry Moses | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Catcher | |
| Born: August 9, 1946 Yazoo City, Mississippi, U.S. | |
| Died: March 26, 2018 (aged 71) Haverhill, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 9, 1965, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 9, 1975, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .251 |
| Home runs | 25 |
| Runs batted in | 109 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Moses first appeared briefly with the Red Sox in 1965 at age 18 due to his bonus status, hitting a home run for his first hit, and also becoming the youngest player to hit a home run with the Red Sox, but soon returned to the minor leagues for more seasoning. He made the majors for good in 1969, and in 1970 Moses served as Boston's first-string catcher and was selected to the American League All-Star team. But after that season, he was included with Red Sox slugger Tony Conigliaro in a blockbuster trade to the California Angels. He did not win the Angels' starting catcher job and batted only .227 in 1971, and then began his career as a journeyman, never spending more than one full season with the Angels, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox. Moses was traded along with Graig Nettles from the Indians to the Yankees for John Ellis, Charlie Spikes, Rusty Torres and Jerry Kenney at the Winter Meetings on November 27, 1972.[1] He served as Detroit's regular catcher in 1974.
Moses played in 386 major league games and collected 269 hits.
Personal life and death
editMoses had two children with his wife of fifty years, Carolyn (née Altieri).[2]
After his playing career, Moses was extremely involved with the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association, championing increased benefits for inactive, non-vested former players who did not originally qualify for pension benefits, and acting as a catalyst for countless charitable events, including the Legends for Youth Clinic Series. Beloved by many due to his kind-hearted nature, Moses served as the chairman emeritus for Major League Alumni Marketing until his death.
Though in failing health, Moses attended the anniversary to the Red Sox "Impossible Dream" season at Fenway Park in August 2017. A Catholic, he attended Mass every Sunday in Rowley, Massachusetts, for the last few years of his life.
Moses died on March 27, 2018, in Haverhill, Massachusetts. He was 71 and had been in failing health for some time.[3][4]
References
edit- ^ Durso, Joseph. "Mets Send Agee to the Astros for Pair; Yanks Trade Four to Get Graig Nettles," The New York Times, Tuesday, November 28, 1972. Retrieved October 24, 2020
- ^ "Gerald Moses Obituary (2018) - Rowley, MA - Boston Globe". www.legacy.com.
- ^ "Former Red Sox catcher Jerry Moses dead". Retrieved March 28, 2018.
- ^ "Jerry Moses, Red Sox All-Star Catcher, Dead At 71". March 27, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
External links
edit- Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet, or SABR Biography Project