Les Moss facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Les Moss
Catcher / Manager
Born: (1925-05-14)May 14, 1925 Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died: August 29, 2012(2012-08-29) (aged 87) Longwood, Florida, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
September 10, 1946, for the St. Louis Browns
Last appearance
September 1, 1958, for the Chicago White Sox
MLB statistics
Batting average	.247
Home runs	63
Runs batted in	276
Managerial record	39–50
Winning %	.438
Teams
As player St. Louis Browns (1946–1951) Boston Red Sox (1951) St. Louis Browns / Baltimore Orioles (1952–1955) Chicago White Sox (1955–1958) As manager Chicago White Sox (1968) Detroit Tigers (1979)

John Lester Moss (May 14, 1925 – August 29, 2012) was an American baseball player, coach, and manager. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for many years. Most of his playing time was with the St. Louis Browns. He was often a backup catcher throughout his career.

Playing Baseball

Les Moss was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He threw and batted right-handed. He was about 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and weighed 205 pounds (93 kg). Moss started his professional baseball journey in 1942 when he was just 17. He played for the Americus Pioneers.

In 1943, he moved up to a higher level of minor league play. He joined the Elmira Pioneers and hit really well, with a .308 batting average. He missed the 1944 and 1945 seasons. This was because he served in the Merchant Marines during World War II.

Moss returned to baseball in 1946 with the Toledo Mud Hens. He hit .297 in 121 games. Later that year, at age 21, he made his Major League Baseball debut. He played for the St. Louis Browns on September 10.

Playing for the Browns

In 1947, Moss shared catching duties with Jake Early. He played in 96 games. His hitting got much better in 1948. He hit .257 and had 14 home runs. He also brought in 46 runs batted in.

In 1949, the Browns got another catcher, Sherm Lollar. Moss then became the team's second-string catcher. Even so, his hitting kept improving. He had a .291 batting average and a great .399 on-base percentage.

On May 17, 1951, Moss was traded to the Boston Red Sox. He played 71 games for them. Later that year, on November 28, he was traded back to the Browns. He continued as their backup catcher, playing behind Clint Courtney.

Moss was the catcher for the Browns on May 6, 1953. That day, Bobo Holloman pitched a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Athletics. This means no player on the other team got a hit.

Moving Teams

In 1954, the St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore. They became known as the Orioles. Moss played one full season in Baltimore. Then, on June 6, 1955, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox. There, he again backed up catcher Sherm Lollar.

He played three more seasons with the White Sox. His major league playing career ended after the 1958 season. He stayed with the White Sox team for another 12 years.

Moss played a few more minor league games after that. He played two games for the Indianapolis Indians in 1959. In 1960, he played three games for the San Diego Padres. He then retired as a player at age 35.

Career Stats

During his 13 years in Major League Baseball, Les Moss played in 824 games. He had 552 hits in 2,234 at bats. This gave him a .247 career batting average. He also hit 63 home runs and had 276 runs batted in. His on-base percentage was .333. He finished his playing career with a .978 fielding percentage.

Coaching and Managing

After he stopped playing, Les Moss became a batting practice catcher for the White Sox. Then, he moved into their player development system. He managed teams in their farm system and sometimes worked as a scout.

In 1963, he led the Lynchburg White Sox to a second-place finish. He was named the "Manager of the Year" for that league. In 1964, he managed the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians to second place. From 1967 to 1970, he was a coach for the White Sox's main team.

In 1968, Moss became the White Sox's temporary manager for 36 games. This happened when their manager, Al López, had to have surgery. Moss was also the White Sox pitching coach in 1970.

Managing in the Minor Leagues

From 1971 to 1973, Moss managed high-level minor league teams for the California Angels. These teams were in Shreveport and Salt Lake City. After a year as an Angels' scout, Moss joined the Detroit Tigers in 1975. He managed their minor league teams.

He led the Montgomery Rebels to win two championships in 1975 and 1976. In 1977 and 1978, he managed the Tigers' top minor league team, the Evansville Triplets. He helped develop Lance Parrish into a great catcher. After the 1978 season, Moss was named "Minor League Manager of the Year" by Sporting News.

Major League Manager

Moss became the manager for the Detroit Tigers in 1979. He had a good record of 27 wins and 26 losses. However, he was replaced because Sparky Anderson suddenly became available. Anderson was a very famous manager. Moss was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Moss's total record as a major league manager was 39 wins and 50 losses. After managing, he became a pitching instructor for the Chicago Cubs in 1980. He then coached pitchers for the Cubs in 1981. From 1983 to 1989, he was the pitching coach for the Houston Astros. He helped the Astros win their division title in 1986. Mike Scott won a major award, the Cy Young Award, that year while Moss was his coach.

In 1990, he worked again as a minor league pitching instructor for the Astros. Then, in 1991, he became a pitching coordinator for the San Francisco Giants. Les Moss retired from baseball in 1995.

He passed away in Longwood, Florida, on August 29, 2012, at the age of 87.

Managerial Record