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1965 Topps Tigers Rookie Stars (#593) - Card of the Day
If you were a collector in the 1980s, the name “Jackie Moore” probably dredges up a few mental images, mainly this one:
That’s how Moore looked as the manager of the Oakland A’s from the time he replaced Steve Boros in 1984 until Jeff Newman relieved him in 1986.
Turns out, Newman was just keeping the chair warm for Tony La Russa, who posted a winning mark in the club’s final 79 games.
But back to Moore…
In a little over two seasons’ worth of work as skipper, Moore guided the A’s to a 163-190 record, including a fifth-place finish in the seven-team (old) American League West in 1985.
There’s more to Moore’s baseball story than his run with the pre-Bash Brother A’s, though.
Like many managers, Moore started his major league career as a catcher, even if his dalliance with the tools of ignorance wasn’t quite as obvious as that of Mike Scioscia or Bruce Bochy.
The Detroit Tigers signed Moore as an amateur free agent out of high school in 1957, and he went right to work with the Class-D Montogmery Rebels. He made a steady climb the next four summers, landing at Triple A in 1961.
But that’s where his climb stalled. Part of that was thanks to Moore’s shaky bat, but maybe a larger part had to do with who was making the climb along with him.
At any rate, Moore looked like a career minor leaguer as Opening Day 1965 loomed. He had camped out on the top rung of the Tigers’ farm system in 1962, 1963, and 1964, after all.
But Tigers starting catcher Bill Freehan, only 23 years old at the time, had suffered a debilitating back spasm while running the bases during Spring Training. That sent Detroit scrambling for help behind the plate and opened the door for Moore.
So the Tigers called up their 26-year-old “prospect,” and Moore started the team’s fifth game of the season on April 18. That contest, a Sunday afternoon affair against the Angels in Dodger Stadium turned into a 13-inning marathon.
Moore caught the first 12 innings, then singled to centerfield in the top of the 13th for his first major league hit. It was also the second leg of a rally started by Willie Horton and culminating in three runs.
But manager Bob Swift sent in Jim Northrup to pinch run for Moore, and John Sullivan caught the bottom of the frame as Terry Fox set down the Halos in order following a leadoff walk to Albie Pearson.
Freehan eventually made it back into the lineup in time to turn in his second All-Star season.
For his part, Moore split the summer between Detroit and the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs. He made it into 20 more games for the Tigers, the last on September 20.
By that time, collectors were pulling Moore’s rookie card, shared with Sullivan, from late-series Topps wax packs.0
Alas, that would be the end of Moore’s MLB career as a player, though he spent two more seasons in the minors and was part of the trade that brought Bill Monbouquette to the Tigers.
From there, Moore stayed in the Red Sox minor league system as a manager in 1968, then began his climb back to the majors…this time as a coach and, eventually, manager of the A’s.
All told, Moore remained in the game a coach at various levels and a minor league manager through 2014.
And today, Jackie Moore turns 85 years old.
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1987 Fleer League Leaders Dave Kingman (#27)
One of the players Moore managed during his stint in Oakland was slugger Dave Kingman. Kong hit 30 home runs in 1985 and 35 in 1986, which was good enough for second in the American League, behind Jesse Barfield’s 40.
Kingman also drove in 94 runs and scored 70 of his own. But heading into his age-38 season and sporting a .236 lifetime batting average, all that got him was released.
Oh, and this card in the 1987 Fleer League Leaders boxed set sold at Walgreens drugstores. Even though Kingman didn’t really lead the league in anything in 1986.
And he certainly didn’t lead any league in anything in 1987 as he sat on the shelf into summer before signing a minor league deal with the Giants, then retiring after 20 games at Triple A.
These days, you can usually find the full 44-card Wagreens set for five bucks or so.
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—
And with that, I bid you a Happy Monday.
Hope your early Spring Training hopes are running higher than Kong’s were back in 1987 as he watched (or didn’t, as the case may have been) Reggie Jackson settle into his old DH role in Oakland.
Thanks for reading.
—Adam