The Spy Who Played Baseball

February 19, 2018
Baseball player Moe Berg—who went by the name of Runt Wolfe— “didn’t just steal bases. He stole enemy secrets.” Jones describes Berg’s childhood in New Jersey, where his love for baseball was matched by his love of learning. Berg played for the Dodgers and the White Sox, where he stood out for his Jewish background and his intelligence. In Cherrington’s polished cartoons, Berg is a rather nondescript character with dark curly hair; wide, searching eyes; and a forceful expression. Beginning in 1943, his desire to defeat the Nazis led Berg to work with the U.S. Office of Strategic Services, gathering intelligence in Europe. Readers won’t learn about Berg’s stats on the field or his personal life; instead, Berg is presented as a principled and enigmatic figure, “a man with many secrets.” Ages 5–9. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary Agency.

February 1, 2018
Moe Berg was a decent defensive catcher who struggled at the plate in the 1920s and '30's--it's his post-baseball career that fascinates.He was intellectually gifted and was one of only a few Jewish students at Princeton, where Jews were prohibited from joining social clubs. However, they were happy to have him on their baseball team. Upon graduation, he began his 15-year major league career. At a time when major league baseball players were white, Christian, and, with few exceptions, poorly educated, Berg was Jewish, a college graduate, a speaker of many languages, and attending law school. In 1941, he became a spy for the OSS, the forerunner of the CIA. His knowledge of languages and world cultures was an asset, as was his seeming fearlessness: as a Jewish American, he would be in particularly grave danger if caught. He parachuted into occupied Yugoslavia and made contact with resistance groups. He spied on a German physicist to determine Nazi nuclear capability. Berg always remained secretive, and there's little information about his postwar life, but that's the way he wanted it. Jones gives readers the sketchy details of Berg's life and exploits in carefully selected anecdotes, employing accessible, straightforward syntax. Cherrington's bright cartoons capture the events and subtly convey Berg's differences from the gentiles who surround him.A captivating true story of a spy, secret hero, and baseball player too. (afterword) (Picture book/ biography. 9-12)

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March 1, 2018
Grades K-3 Born in 1902, Moe Berg was one of the few Jewish students at Princeton and one of the few Jewish players in major league baseball. In his spare time, he traveled the world. Increasingly concerned about changes in Europe during the 1930s, he retired from baseball in 1941 and became a spy, parachuting to Yugoslavia and evaluating resistance groups. He also entered Nazi Germany and talked with a leading physicist to determine whether he was close to building an atomic bomb. Berg retired after the war and led a quiet life, reading and attending baseball games. The afterword, illustrated with two photos of Berg as a ballplayer, offers additional information about this somewhat enigmatic man. Written in concise sentences, the narrative moves along at a steady pace. Sustaining its momentum, Cherrington's simply drawn digital pictures use flat colors with subtle shadows and textures. A couple of illustrations, incorporating elements outside the text, are a little confusing, but most work well. The scene of Berg parachuting is particularly effective. An appealing picture-book biography.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)