WWII story....Patton & St Louis pitcher Dickson..what's yours ?

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

Well, it seems as if were engaged in "WWIII" on Net54....so appropo, here's an interesting story (among
many) of the Major League BB players serving in WWII......on display in Cooperstown.

Told to the St Louis Post Dispatch (1943), is this story by Murry Dickson when he was a 1st Lieutenant in
the Army driving General Patton. With explosions around them in the German forest, Dickson asks Patton....

"Sir, should we stay our position ?"
"Hell no, soldier, keep driving" was Patton's reply.

Mortar fire suddenly upends their jeep and Dickson falls on top of Patton, who is on the ground, to protect
him. Patton gets up, brushes off his uniform and they manage to get their jeep moving again, proceeding
deeper into the battleground.

A week later, Dickson's Commanding Officer (CO) calls him and presents him a Letter of Commendation....
signed by Patton. And, his CO tells Dickson that Patton was very impressed with him and has requested
Dickson as his permanent jeep driver.

Dickson's response to his CO...."Sir, please do anything to get me out of this duty. That SOB (Patton) is
crazy......he'll get us all killed !"

Well, Murry Dickson was lucky. The National League President wrote a request to FDR to allow Dickson a
"Leave of Absence" from Army duty in Oct 1943 since he was needed by the St Louis Cardinals who were
playing the Yankees in the World Series.
FDR granted Dickson this exception.

Murry Dickson had a long pitching career (1939 -1959). I show his 1951 card here, as that was his best
season, he won 20 games, while losing 16 (with the 2nd division Pirates).

So, you heard my favorite....let's hear your WAR stories ?

TED Z

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Posted By: leon

I don't have a war story except the Net54 one called "Peyton Place at Net54" but I appreciated your story and pics....thanks man !!

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

You don't need to relate any old War stories.....your in the midst of one.

And, locking Threads is not putting an end to it, as more "negative" ones keep popping up. It reminds us multiple leaks springing up in a dike.

I thought starting this thread would distract from all the controversy.....and I am thinking of a few more posts, but I'm having 2nd thoughts.

In any event, I don't think you deserve all this "flak" being aimed at you. But, I thought you should have suspended Dorskind before Jay B.
And, perhaps all this enmity might have been avoided......just my opinion.

Anyhow, we're having fun in the other forum....especially with the 1955 Doubleheaders.

Best regards,

TED Z

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Posted By: Ted Holden

When I was a kid and read Augie Donatelli's bio information of tne back of the 1955 Bowman card, it talked about him being a POW in WWII. I finally did some research and found this on Wikipedia:

"Augie Donatelli (August 22, 1914 - May 24, 1990) was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1950 to 1973. Highly regarded for his ability, he was also known for his inclination to eject players and managers quickly and dramatically.

After enjoying a 14-game career as a minor league infielder in 1938, he served in the Army Air Forces' Eighth Air Force during World War II and spent 15 months as a German prisoner of war after flying 18 missions as a tailgunner on a B-17. His plane was shot down during the first daylight raid on Berlin, and he suffered a broken ankle upon parachuting. He began umpiring softball games while a POW before being freed when Soviet troops overran the area. After the war he opted for an umpiring career rather than return to the coal mines near his hometown."



Texas Ted

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Posted By: Rich Klein

Read the back of his 1949 Bowman card for more details. That A's staff also had Lou Brissie, who was wounded in WW2.

Rich

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Posted By: Ricky Y

Wow what a great story. Didn't know that Thanks Ted!

Ricky Yo

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Posted By: Gil

Im going to totally adlib this one and I have no pictures, but you can feel free to add some if you like. I shared this adventure with Alan, the collector who touts himself as the "poor Jewish slob" and other derrogatory and probably inaccurate adjectval descriptors.

One day I wanted to check out how much a spy Moe Berg really was, so (thanks to Al Gore) I checked the internet and found that he was actually rather aggressive and accomplished in that. And further, one article stated that the CIA headquarters had his baseball card on display.

Well, I was collecting (non-sports) spy cards at that time, and the possibility of adding a baseball card to this grouping struck me just right. I don't know why I decided that Alan was the individual to contact in order to determine exactly which card the CIA had on display, but I got lucky. Alan was one of the best people I could have contacted in this country for this information. You see? I determined that if a specific card was right for the CIA to display, well then it was good enough for my collection!

As it turned out Alan knew the curator (or at least her e-mail address) of the display which included the Berg cards - there were two. After exchanging e-mails with her it became apparent that the cards were her property, not that of the Government. And they were "on loan" for that presentation, which no longer exists, since she has retired.

One thing she was doing is that she has an active on line effort selling t-shirts and other shirts portraying this card on the shirt. Of course, I attempted to make her an offer for the exact card which she had on display. For some reason only the green Goudey came to light. The other Moe Berg card which she had was never brought out. She was not interested in parting with her card, and I did not proceed to press the issue with a significantly attractive offer. I don't think that either of us wanted that to happen.

So there it is. Well that plus when I contacted Alan to describe this adventure, I gave him a link to her t-shirt site and told him that we should select each a shirt to comemmorate this most excellent adventure! He never followed up + I now owe him an e-mail. Maybe I was not clear, or maybe he is too mature for a Moe Berg shirt.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

Morris "Moe" Berg......now there's an interesting story to be told. His BB cards say he graduated from Princeton University.
My wife works at Princeton; but, she cannot find his name on the University's Alumni listing ?
He played BB from 1923 to 1939....primarily as a catcher....but most years, much less than 100 games.

Can anyone on this forum tell us about his clandestine operations during the war years ?

Thanks GIL for mentioning Moe Berg.

TED Z

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Posted By: Anonymous

Moe Berg taught himself enough physics that he was one of a handful of spies sent to Europe to investigate the German nuclear program. During this time he noted that there was a German nuclear facility in Norway which was subsequently bombed. Towards the end of the war he was instrumental in recruiting (capturing?) German scientists before the Soviets got their hands on them.

Earlier in the war he parachuted into Yugoslavia to meet w/Tito and recommended that the U.S. back him in his fight for power in that country and thus his fight against the Nazis. He is not remembered much today but Tito was extremely effective against the Nazis and was responsible for delaying Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union. He was also a constant thorn in the side of Stalin.

After the war he was awarded the highest civilian decoration but he declined the honor.

Howard

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Posted By: whitehse

My cousin actually married Augie Donatelli's son......From what I understand he was a hard man and that his son had issues with him. Who hasnt had issues with their father, right? It makes more sense now that I heard he was a pow ect. That has to impact a person and harden them thats for sure.

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Posted By: howard

Jim Blackburn was a POW who later pitched a few games for the Reds. Near the end of the war he was in a prison hospital when an allied bombing raid nearly hit it. A German guard was so pissed he took a pair of pliers and pulled out all of Blackburn's toenails.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

Thanks for those insightful stories of Moe Berg. These are stories I haven't heard. Do you have anymore stories on Moe ?

The Yugoslavian story is particular interesting, as I've heard many stories how the Serbian people were very effective in
fighting the Nazis in WWII.....and, saved the lives of many Allied soldiers.

I'll never understand why Clinton bombed the Serbs in 1999......where was the outrage back then ? The massive "ethnic
cleansing" reason was never confirmed.....as less than 1000 mass graves were found and no one ever determined if these
victims were Serbs or Kosovars.

It's a "black mark" on our recent history that the media has never reported the real truth about.

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

There are several books about Moe. His sister sponsored one, as did his brother. They didn't get along, and the books reflect that, with virtually no mention of the other sibling. One can be found used, the other is difficult to locate, it was a very limited printing.

Then there is The Catcher was a Spy. A good read.

Moe was not as much of a spy as some folks think... He did stuff a bit independently, but he did do some spy stuff. He did take the photos during the Japan Tour in the 30s, the photos were of some help for Doolittle's raid. But it seems he did that on his own. He left the team and went to the hospital to visit someone, dashed up into a tower and took some images. He did some good work helping to get a fellow who was hot in the aerodynamics field to go over to the Allies, I think that was in Italy where that happened. He could speak the languages, but couldn't hit very well, as the stories go. He'd get a newspaper and read it in its entirety, unless someone messed with his paper. Once he started it, it was "alive", and it was "dead" once he finished it or once someone took it and read some of it... My recollection is that newspapers would pile up in stacks wherever he was.

My recollection is that after the war, the government was after him for thousands of dollars for unaccounted expenses from his "spy" activities, so Moe didn't work, and Moe didn't go accept that award because he was mad with them.

Moe would arrive with little announcement on friends and acquaintances, who would put him up for a few days until he moved on. He was able to walk into ballparks, see games, hang out in clubhouses (and eat), I think he even traveled with a team or two, on occasion. His friends enabled him in this fashion.

The books are interesting reads, as I recall. But it's been several years since I've read them.

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Posted By: howard

Hi Ted. The Serbs certainly have had a disproportionate effect on world history. It was a Bosnian-Serb that assassinated Archduke Ferdinand setting off WW1.

I do have a couple other Berg stories as I have always been fascinated by him. Nothing that you wouldn't find on the internet, though:

He was on a 1934 all-star team that traveled to Japan. Since he was a marginal player speculation has been that he was included so he could make observations on possible Japanese military installations. Film he took at that time was supposedly used in the preparation of Doolittle's raid on Tokyo.

In 1944 he went to a lecture in Switzerland given by the head of the German nuclear program to determine how far along they were. He had a pistol in case he felt the German should be assassinated and a cyanide capsule in case he was caught. Luckily he determined that Germany was far behind in this area and he did not need to take any action.

He was a terrific linguist and a teammate once noted that Berg could speak ten languages but couldn't hit in any of them.

It should be noted that he was considered to be a sloppy spy at times. It is said that he often forgot his watch (an important piece of equipment for a spy) and that he once accidentally dropped his pistol into the lap of the passenger next to him on a plane.

There was a biography written a few years ago called "The Catcher was a Spy". I haven't read it yet but it's on my list.

Howard

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

HOWARD

I, too, heard that Moe Berg was somewhat "sloppy" in his clandestine operations in Europe. But, at least he remembered not to change the
use of his knife and fork while eating with the enemy.
I understand that one of our top spies in WWII was revealed, simply because upon cutting the meat on his dish, he then switched the fork
to his right hand. Europeans were brought up not to eat their food....switching the use of their utensils.

I don't recall the name of this top spy.

Thanks again.....I find your posts very interesting and informative.

TED Z

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Posted By: howard

You're welcome, Ted, I'm glad I could contribute something. I've learned a ton about vintage cards from you guys.

Howard

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

Do you you have handy the titles of the books by Moe Berg's sister and brother ?

Thanks,

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

I think that the Louis Kaufman book, Moe Berg: Athlete, Scholar, Spy, 1974... that was the book sponsored by the brother, I think.

My Brother Morris Berg, The Real Moe, 1976, is the book the sister sponsored. It is quite rare. Ethyl wrote it. I think the printing might have been 750 paperbound copies. Here's where one sold on eBay at what I consider a good price...
http://cgi.ebay.com/My-Brother-MOE-BERG---The-Real-Moe,-with-signed-letter_W0QQitemZ260161389149QQcmdZViewItem

Nicholas Dawidoff wrote The Catcher was a Spy; The Mysterious Life of Moe Berg. A good baseball book.

The brother, Samuel, had Moe live with him for 17 years. Eventually Sam had enough, and asked Moe to leave. He refused. Sam had him legally removed. Moe then lived with his sister Ethel in Belleville, NJ. Upon Moe's death she scattered his ashes in Israel.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

Thanks much....I'll put my wife onto finding these books. She is good at hunting down out-of-print books.

TED Z