The Washington times., 1932-08-06
PLAYED STAR
. ROLE IN Win
OVER BUGS
eyAAA;nG By

again and the PltCSDurgn PlraCeS
are apparently. on their way to
another world series. To the
average reader these two state
ments might seem to have nc
connection whatever, but to
Moore they mean something. And
to several members of the 1882
Yankees and the 1882 Pirates
they bring back memories of five
years ago. 1t was against the
Pirates of that year that Wiley
Moore closed his first big league
campaign in a blaze of glory.
That was the year Moore came
to the Yankee camp as a rookie
when you. figure major league
experience. but as a veteran in
years. Moore was close to 80 at
the time and he was the last
man in camp whom you would
pick as likely to play much of a
part in the season soon to start.
But what part he did play
In all my years in baseball !
, never saw a relief pitcher who
could closely compare with the
Wiley Moore of 1927. He had
pitched against every other team
in the league before the end of
May and had stopped every one
Of them cold.
Made Himself ImpOI tant
I doubt that any other pitcher
in baseball history ever made
himself so important to a ball
club in the first six weeks of a
season as Moore did that year
The other fellows did the starting
and Wiley had to do the finish.
ing, sometimes two and three
times a week. He was credited
with 10 victories when the season
was over and he must have saved
almost as many more games sor
which other pitchers were cred
tied with the victories.
I think Wiley pitched in some
thing like six games that season,
but his name was in so different
box scores. What has all this
got to do with Pittsburgh, you
may ask.
Well, that 1927 world series
ended in four days, the shortest
on record in time consumed, but
on par with two other series in
number of games played. 1t
happened that there was an off
day in the series of 1914 and
1928. Moore had heard the series
% Nf 1908 hIy roIiN ot HI iYo
Oklahoma. He never had seen a
world series game until the Yam
KEGS opened that series at Pitts
burgh. In the eighth inning
Hoyt was taken out with two run
ners on the bases, the score 5
to 3 and only one out.
Saves Series Game
It was his first view of a series
game and here he was trying to
save it. EIe saved it. as he had
done in so many games in our
league during the season. Hoyt
was credited with the victory as
the Pirates failed to overtake the
Yanks after Waite went out with
his team in front.
Three days later Moore was
sent in as the starting pitcher
and it was great battle all the
way. 1t was tied for awhile at
IL for several innings and later
at 3-3. We finally won it in our
half Of the ninth inning after
two were out. The victory gave
us the series. four games to none,
and Moore, the rookie of the
training season, had been in two
tight games, saving one and
holding the Pirates back in the
other.
Now Wiley comes back to try
and help us win another pennant
and perhaps to take a fling as a
game saver. or even starter. in
another world series. He often
told me that the biggest kick he
ever got out of a ball game in
his life was the one he started
and finished against the Pirates
in 1927. Of that Yankee team
Gehrig, Lazzeri. Combs, Pipgras,
Pennock and myself remain as
members of the New York club.
Pie Traynor, the Waner brothers
and Kremer are the only mem
bers of that 1927 Pittsburgh
team who still wear the uniform
Of the Pirates.
Should Help Yankees
Moore should help the Yankees.
He has pitched some wonderful
ball against us this year as a
relief pitc'er, and in that role
he figures to play a big part in
the work of our club during the
remainder of the season.
Did you ever hear of the
friendly bet Wiley and I had
when he was member of that
1927 team. He was one of the
worst hitters ever to come into
the majors and very good
nat1 ed about it, as about every
thing else. We kidded a lot about
his hitting and one day told him
he wouldn't make six hits all
season. Finally we bet on 1t,
shook hands and he finished with
exactly six hits for his so games.
He took the money and bought
two mules for his farm. He
named one Babe and the other
Ruth in honor of the fellow who
paid for them.
A great fellow, Wiley Moore
sAE