Player Pages > Wally Moses

Largely through circumstances beyond his control, Wally Moses had one of the most unpredictable careers in baseball history. As he tore up several different minor leagues in the 1930s, Moses was probably more than ready to play at the big league level, but he wasn't given a chance. Finally, he debuted with Connie Mack's Athletics in 1935 and batted .325 in his first taste of American League pitching. The line-drive left-handed batter banged out 202 hits the next season (hitting .345), followed that with 208 in 1937, batting .320, and earned his first All-Star selection. Though he would bat over .300 in his next four seasons, Moses would never do it again, though he would continue to be a valuable major leaguer. Traded to the White Sox in 1942, Moses was one of the most effective players during World War II. Finally out from under the conservative reins of Mack, Moses used his fleet feet in Chicago, swiping 56 bases in 1943, 40 more than he had pilfered in any other season previously. In 1946, he was acquired by the Red Sox as pennant insurance, and supplied a veteran bat off the bench and as a fourth outfielder. He served in that role for the remainder of his career, playing until he was 40 years old, back with Mack in Philadelphia. Having posted a .331 average through his first three seasons, Moses seemed destined for greatness, or at least more than the .291 career mark he ended up with. His 25 homers in his third season were 16 more than he hit in any other campaign.