Longtime Brewers catcher and outfielder Charlie Moore He passed away on Saturday at the age of 72, according to a press release from the group. Moore spent 14 of his 15 Major League seasons in a Milwaukee uniform, only spending his 15th and final season with the Blue Jays in 1987.
Beginning his major league career in 1973, Moore spent his first few seasons backing up Darrell Porter at catcher while also getting significant playing time as a cornerback. Porter was traded to the Royals after the 1976 campaign, which opened up more time behind the plate for Moore over the next five seasons. The Brewers instead moved Moore to an everyday right field role from 1982-84 before returning to his regular catcher role for his final three seasons.
It was an unusual arc for a catcher’s career, yet Moore was a good athlete who defended like a good player. Reggie Jackson learned this the hard way during Game 5 of the 1982 ALCS, when Moore threw Jackson out at third when the champ was trying to go from first to third on a Fred Lynn single. Jackson’s Angels held a 3-2 lead at the time in a do-or-die Game 5, and Moore’s performance was a pivotal moment as Milwaukee cruised to a 4-3 victory.
The 1982 team remains the only Brewers team to reach the World Series, falling short to the Cardinals in the seven-game Fall Classic. Moore was a big part of Milwaukee’s playoff run, hitting .385/.429/.462 over 44 plate appearances during that postseason.
Moore finished his career with 36 homers and a .261/.319/.355 slash line over 4483 PA and 1334 career games. He also had 51 career stolen bases, two of which came on October 1, 1980 when Moore also started the cycle. That big day made Moore the first player in modern baseball history to hit a home run and steal two bases in the same game. On another historic note for Moore, the last of Henry Aaron’s MLB record 2297 RBIs was recorded when Aaron singled to drive in Moore from third on the final day of the 1976 season.
We at MLB Trade Rumors send our condolences to Moore’s family, friends, and many fans.
