See below for an update.
A post on Facebook reminded me that Moe Berg, one of the most interesting characters to ever don spikes, died on this date in 1972.
The number of languages Berg could speak varied. Casey Stengel once supposedly, “He can speak seven languages but can’t hit in any of ’em.”
There have been several books both non-fiction and novels, about Berg including
- The Catcher was a Spy: The Mysterious Life of Moe Berg, by Nicholas Dawidoff (1994). Here’s a review from The New York Times and my Bookshelf Conversation with the author.
- Moe Berg: Athlete, Scholar, Spy, by Louis Kaufman (1974)
- Something Real (Moe Berg Mysteries), by Rick Wilbur (2014)
- My Brother Moe Berg – The Real Moe, by Ethel Berg (1975)
In addition, there was The Spy Behind Home Plate, a documentary by Aviva Kemper, as well as a feature film based on the Dawidoff book, incongruously starring Paul Rudd in the title role (Berg was 6’1″; Rudd is 5’10”).
UPDATE: I have since been informed that ESPN aired Spyball, a 30/30 documentary about Berg, featuring a number of items of Berg memorabilia from the Steve Mandel collection. You can see the 18-plus minute program — narrated by Bill “The Spaceman” Lee — here, via Facebook Reels.
is available on Amazon.com,
