1965, 1968-1970
GERRY MOSES   C

Gerry Moses was a nine-year major league veteran catcher and member of the Red Sox organization from 1964-70, including the 1967 American League Championship “Impossible Dream” season.

He was a native of Yazoo City, Miss. and lived much of his life on Boston’s North Shore. Jerry’s teen years featured good American Legion Baseball competition in Canton and Jackson, Mississippi. Jackson won the state championship and went to the regional in Memphis. Jerry had a great tournament in front of many scouts.

Jerry’s favorite high school sport was football. He starred as Yazoo City’s quarterback in the Big 8 Conference, 1961-63, earning All-America laurels as a junior, and All-State his last two seasons. Jerry was flattered that Bear Bryant recruited—and had breakfast with—him. Bryant asked him to play quarterback at Alabama. 

Jerry’s high school nickname was Mule. His four years as Yazoo City High’s star catcher. Yazoo City High’s baseball field was across town, several miles away from the school.  He had good power and was a good defensive catcher. They had winning records, but lost out to Jackson Central for the district title.

Jerry was pursued by the Red Sox, Yankees, Braves, Pirates, Angels, and Dodgers. The Red Sox won out. Moses was signed by legendary Red Sox scout George Digby in 1964 and debuted the following year at the age of 18. In just his second at-bat, the future All-Star became the youngest player in Red Sox history to hit a pinch-hit home run.

Moses competed for Boston’s final roster spot in spring training 1965, but only lasted a few weeks. Moses was designated to Pittsfield and played sparsely. He was then sent to Winston-Salem, where Bob Montgomery caught and Paul Dowd and Billy Rohr started, and Sparky Lyle relieved for manager Bill Slack.

Moses went to the 1965 Florida Instructional League (Sarasota) where he met infielder Mike Andrews. Moses remained one of Andrews’ best friends.

The 1966 and 1967 seasons were spent with the AA Pittsfield Red Sox. Moses hit .263, with seven homers and 51 RBIs for Eddie Popowski in 1966 and hit .254, with three homers and 55 RBIs for manager Billy Gardner in 1967. He was a league All-Star in both years. 

Moses, a September call-up in 1967 who served as the team’s bullpen catcher in its stretch drive to the pennant, battled his way back to the big leagues for parts of the 1968 and 1969 seasons before earning the chance to be the Red Sox’ Opening Day catcher on April 7, 1970. He hit .542 in the first seven games of the season, going on to earn an All-Star nod from Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver before his breakout season was shortened by injury. After a strong first half, Jerry suffered injuries, including a split in his finger, which limited him to 92 games, .263, with six homers and 35 RBIs. 

Following the 1970 season, Moses joined Tony Conigliaro and Ray Jarvis in a six-player trade that sent the teammates to the California Angels.

Moses played 1973-74 winter ball in Venezuela. In 1974, he was traded to Detroit and played well for Ralph Houk, his manager with the 1973 Yankees and 1974 Tigers, until he hurt his hand during the latter season.  Jerry hit .237, four homers, and had 19 RBIs with Detroit. 

Moses played for a total of seven teams over the course of his nine-year major league career. After his stints in Boston and California, he played for the Indians, Yankees, Tigers, Padres, and White Sox, appearing in his last major league game in Comiskey Park on August 9, 1975, his 29th birthday. He tripled off Hall of Famer Jim Palmer in his last big league at-bat.

In 155 games for the Red Sox over the course of four seasons, Moses batted .278 with 13 home runs and 51 RBI, and started 117 games as catcher. Overall, he played in 386 games, batting .251 with 25 home runs and 109 RBI.

Upon his retirement, Moses began a new career in the food industry, starting with the Ogden Food Service Corporation, where he spent 11 years. He also co-owned a startup called Fanfare, partnering with Boston businessman Joe O’Donnell for seven years, and later was part-owner of Ann’s Boston Brownie Company.

Following his major league career, Moses devoted considerable time to assisting his close friend Mike Andrews in Jimmy Fund events, appearing in golf tournaments, chairing a major dinner honoring Ted Williams, and organizing a bone marrow donor program in support of Red Sox Hall-of-Famer Bill Monbouquette. He co-hosted a radio show on WRKO with Andrews in 1984 and partnered with him for 25 years in the operation of a kids’ baseball camp in Massachusetts.

Gerry Moses passed away on March 27th in Haverhill MA. He was 71.