Jerry Moses obit

Jerry Moses, Red Sox All-Star Catcher, Dead At 71

Moses was on the roster during the 'Impossible Dream' season of 1967.

 

He was not on the list.

BOSTON, MA — Jerry Moses, the catcher who was called up to bullpen duty during Boston's "Impossible Dream" before becoming an All-Star, has died. He was 71.

The Red Sox did not say what the cause of death was, only that Moses had been in failing health for some time.

Moses made his major league debut in 1965, when at 18 he became the youngest Red Sox player to hit a pinch-hit home run. He was called up during the 1967 "Impossible Dream" run to the World Series, but you won't find Moses in the box scores - he served as the bullpen catcher.

Moses started behind the plate on Opening Day in 1970, the year he went on to earn an All-Star nod. Injuries shortened his season, and he was traded to California. Moses bounced around five more teams before retiring at the age of 29.

After his playing days, Moses was active in the Jimmy Fund and a kids' baseball camp. One of the kids who attended was current Red Sox President and CEO Sam Kennedy.

"I was blessed to get to know Jerry later," Kennedy said, "through his many charitable efforts and in his frequent visits to Fenway Park, a place for which he had such obvious fondness. "

Moses played 155 games for the Red Sox over four seasons, hitting .278 with 13 home runs and 51 RBIs.

"I loved every minute that I played for Boston," Moses said. "The Red Sox experience after ’67 particularly was wonderful because that’s when the crowds started to come. For guys like me just coming to the big leagues, it was a wonderful time to be a Red Sox."

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. He served as Detroit's regular catcher in 1974.

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.