Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-03
WIN, LOSE OR
GNAW By FRANCIS sTANN
Who Remembers WiIcy?

CASEY STENCIL WAS TALKING about the most recent
reunion of time Yankees and of seeing old Wiley Moore
visit the dugout and shake hands with Bill Dckey his old
battery ut used to be possible into the minors
and pick up pitcher like Wiley" Sengel sighed What
wouldn't any manager give to find of his kind right
now?"
Now that Casey mentions it, where are pitchers of Moores
type? True Wiley didn't have long, but in 1927 when he
up he the best relief pitcher in baseball He saved
IS games, posted 1877 record of his and had the
American Leagues lowest earned average 228.
Joe Page 10 games and he exceptional
reliever. Neither did Johnny Murphy Jack Russell
Jim Konstanty One Fred Marberry had 1912 record but
the only fireman with better record than MooreS to
to mind was Ellis Kinder, who was 1876 in l949 for the
Red Sox.
There have been fabulous tales that of
Moore, bad-headed guy who 80 when the
Yankees picked him up Just in the of time, too
Wiley or Cy, was ready to give up the game
$3.50
SEEMS THAT IN 1926 the sinker ball specialist
ing for Greenve in the Sally League He had eyecatch
ing record of 80 wins against Trouble he
caught the eye of nobody who counted
The owner of the Greenvile club, Dan Mcheove,
tried to do the veteran from Bonita Tex, by selling
him. Originally he offered him to John McGraw, extoing
Moores sinker and how affected rghhanded herS Hes
too DID," decided the manager of the Giants
AS version goes Michelove switched his pitch to Ed
Barrow, general manager of the Yankees saying, "A
want for him is $780," Another version that Barrow
reluctantly paid $4,000 for Moore intending ship
cheap at whatever price
stengels bewilderment to why there not
specialists in the image Moore understandable AS the
Yankees genius pointed the pay good the hours
are right hear the fellow paid So 900 for his work in
27," he added.
IF THAT FIGURE IS CORRECT Moore was costing less
than Sl60 for victory not counting the saved
for other pitchers The book shows that he of the
bupen A times to finish games and that he also completed
each of the six starting assignments he given.
That not easy club for freshman from the Sally
League to crash Universally acclaimed the greatest
team Of all time the Yankees of 2 had than the Muir
derers Row-Ruth Gehrg Meuse Lazzeri Combs They
had some great pitchers Waite Hoyt 227 Herb
Pennock Q98) Urban Shocker 1880 George Pigras dO3)
and Dutch Reuther $3.50.
With his 1877 record Moore rounded out staff
backed up by dream batting order little wonder
the Yankees ITO games season they won q of the
% from the ST. Louis Browns who during the
hopeless competition felt they had chance of winning
because Yankee starter knocked out of the box
Dan Howey was manager of the Browns and of his
coaches was Bill Kiefer They glanced at the Yankee bull
pen and Wiley Moore through the gate Its all
or skipper Klefer darkly muttered Here Frank
Merriwel"
ON JULY OF 1927 the Senators were in second place
Not close second, to be but still the club that
closest to the Yankees who apparently to do
thing about the upstairs from Washington So the first
game of double in New the Yankees cobbered
the Senator'S l2-l
And then in the second game they really went town
-2l-ll
They not only beat you Joe Judge groaned that night
but they tear heart out wish the
Moore had strange delivery He hardly took wind-up
Instead he pitched simply say George Caster
pitch later and recently, Ned Carver veteran
pitcher told Rookie Moore he'd have to change his
style and adopt full wind-up he intended stay up
Moore who had just 80 games the minors politely
rejected the idea He had spntered bone in his shoulder
and couldn't pitch any other way Wiley explained.
The way he could pitch just fine, ii turned out
Cy had only that great around until
1888 with the Yankees Red Sox Yankees again
just didn't have it any more Not in big way