Books and articles about Wally Moon

"Moon shots" were what they called the home runs that lefthanded-batting Wally Moon golfed over the 42-foot wall a mere 250 feet down the Los Angeles Coliseum's left field line with his inside-out swing. Though he didn't hit many of them, the newly arrived Moon hit them early in 1959, and his ingenuity seemed to capture the spirit of the ragtag bunch that took the Dodgers from seventh place to the World Championship. Appropriately, he scored the last run ever in the Coliseum.

RELATED LINKS Submissions » Left Field Gold Gloves - National League by Paul White

Moon homered in his first major league at-bat, as a Cardinal in 1954, en route to batting .304 and winning the Rookie of the Year award over Hank Aaron. He peaked with 24 HR in 1957, but was traded to the Dodgers after a .238 showing in 1958. A fine defensive outfielder, he won a Gold Glove in 1960. (TG)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » April 11, 1954: To make room for promising rookie OF Wally Moon, the Cardinals trade long-time great Enos Slaughter to the Yankees. In what turns out to be a good deal for both teams, the Cardinals get CF Bill Virdon, P Mel Wright, and OF Emil Tellinger in return. Virdon will become the National League Rookie of the Year in 1955, following Moon, and Slaughter will help the Yankees to win 103 games. » April 13, 1954: Hitting against the Cubs Paul Minner, Cardinal rookie Wally Moon homers in his first ML AB. But Minner homers to back his own pitching, as the Cubs win 13–4. Tom Alston becomes the first black to play for the St. Louis Cardinals. » April 23, 1954: At Sportsman's Park, Henry Aaron hits the first of his 755 ML home runs, a solo shot off Vic Raschi of St. Louis. The Braves win in 14 innings 7–5 on an error by Hemus. Card rookie Wally Moon is 5-for-5. » May 12, 1954: Rookie CF Wally Moon of the Cards has his 2nd 5-hit game and scores five runs in a 13–5 rout of Pittsburgh. » May 25, 1954: Cards rookie sensation Wally Moon swipes four bases in the Cards, 9–4, win over the Cubs. Stan Musial has a single, double, and triple to back Haddix's pitching. » May 5, 1955: In his first ML start, Dodger southpaw Tom Lasorda throws three wild pitches in the same inning, to tie a record. He also receives a spike wound from Wally Moon of the Cardinals in a play at the plate. Lasorda later blames his wildness on his catcher, Roy Campanella, but the Dodgers go on to win the game, 4–3. Before the game, Don Newcombe refuses to pitch batting practice for the 2nd time this week and Walt Alston tells him he's suspended. The two will settle their differences tomorrow and Newk will finish up the Dodgers, 6–4 12 inning win over the Phils. » May 30, 1955: Cubs rookie slugger Bob Speake homers in both games of a doubleheader against the Cards to finish the month with 10 homers. His homer breaks a 3-3 tie in the 11th inning of the nightcap to help the Cubs sweep in St. Louis, 9–5 (10) and 4–3 (11). Paul Minner and Howie Pollet are the winners for Chicago, while Brooks Lawrence and Bobby Tiefenauer take the losses. Speake will hit just two more homers the rest of the season. In game 2, the Cards get stopped in the 9th by an interference call. Wally Moon attempts to steal 3B but C Harry Chiti's throw hits the bat of Red Schoendienst. Red is called out and Moon must return to 2B. Stan Musial then grounds out. » May 16, 1956: In Jersey City, Cards RF Wally Moon hits the first ML home run, but St. Louis loses 5–3 to the Dodgers. The Dodgers score five unearned runs in the 4th. » May 27, 1956: Thanks to a dropped 3rd strike by C Hobie Landrith, P Jim Davis of the Cubs fans four straight Cardinals in the 6th inning. Wally Moon leads off the inning with a double and then steals 3B. The knuckler then K's Hal Smith and Jackie Brandt. His 3rd strike on Lindy McDaniel eludes Landrith, and the pitcher reaches first while Moon scores. Don Blasingame then strikes out for the 4th strikeout in the inning. Not since Guy Morton, in 1916, has a pitcher fanned four in one inning. But the Cubs still lose, 11–9. The Cards pummel the Cubs in the 2nd game as well, winning 12–2. » May 5, 1957: In the 2nd game of a 3–1 and 4–1 doubleheader sweep of the Phils, the Cardinals Wally Moon begins a 24-game hitting streak, the longest of the season in the National League. » June 1, 1957: Braves pitchers Warren Spahn and Gene Conley stop Wally Moon's 24-game streak, but Cards 40-year-old Murry Dickson wins 7-1. » December 4, 1958: The Dodgers trade OF Gino Cimoli to the Cardinals for OF Wally Moon and RHP Phil Paine. » August 31, 1959: Sandy Koufax breaks Dizzy Dean's National League mark and ties Bob Feller's major-league record of 18 strikeouts in a game against the Giants as 82,974 fans watch. He also totals 31 Ks for two consecutive games to set a new ML mark. Wally Moon's 3-run, 9th-inning home run wins it 5–2 for the Dodgers. » August 6, 1961: Maury Wills' first home run in 1,167 ML at bats and a double, triple, and home run by Frank Howard give the Dodgers an 11–4 win against Chicago and first place by a half game in the National League. Wills has three hits and scores four runs, while Podres gives up ten hits, but goes the distance to win. Wally Moon drives in three runs with three hits. » May 11, 1963: Sandy Koufax's comeback from a circulatory ailment in his left index finger continues with a no-hitter against the visiting first place Giants. He walks two and fans four to run his record to 4–1. Wally Moon homers off loser Juan Marichal in the Dodgers' 8–0 victory.