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Joseph Douglas Moeller
Los Angeles Dodgers
Pitcher
Born: February 15, 1943, Blue Island, IL
Signed: Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1960 season
Major League Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers 1962, 1964, 1966-1971
Just two months removed from turning 19, Joe Moeller made his first big league start with the Dodgers on April 18, 1962, becoming the youngest starting pitcher in Dodgers history. He battled injuries throughout his career, missing significant playing time and ultimately settling into a role as an occasional starter and middle reliever. Moeller pitched two innings for the Dodgers in the 1966 World Series, allowing a run on a hit and a walk. He was selected by the Astros in the 1967 rule 5 draft, but returned to the Dodgers prior to the start of the 1968 season. Moeller appeared in a career-high 31 games in 1970, going 7-9 with a 3.92 ERA and four saves. He last appeared in the majors in 1971, but continued to pitch for two more seasons in the Padres and Phillies minor league systems.
Moeller spent several years coaching and scouting until his retirement in 2015. He served as a coach for Rod Dedeaux's USC team in 1986 and the Korean National Team in the 1996 Olympics. Moeller would manage the Samsung Lions in Korea in 1997 before returning home and taking a position with the Dodgers in public relations. He'd later serve as an advance scout for the Expos and Marlins, serving on the Marlins staff during their 2003 World Championship season.
Building the Set
July 31, 2021 from Los Angeles, CA - Card #340
By late July, we were down to needing 18 more cards to complete our set's third series, including three big star cards - Pete Rose (#207), Billy Williams (#220) and Willie Mays (#250). We had spent an enjoyable day on the beach in Ocean City, New Jersey, staying at the condo my in-laws rent once a summer during the last week of July. After a dinner of Mike's Seafood and ice cream from A La Mode, we settled in to watch that night's Phillies game, and as has been the case for a lot of games this season, it was not an enjoyable game. In fact, the Braves blew them out 15-3 and infielder Ronald Torreyes was called upon to finish out the game for the Phillies on the mound. The Phillies poor play gave me some extra time to browse eBay, searching specifically for some of the remaining cards needed for the third series.
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| July 31, 2021 - Doug in action on the mound |
July 31, 2021 from Los Angeles, CA - Card #340
By late July, we were down to needing 18 more cards to complete our set's third series, including three big star cards - Pete Rose (#207), Billy Williams (#220) and Willie Mays (#250). We had spent an enjoyable day on the beach in Ocean City, New Jersey, staying at the condo my in-laws rent once a summer during the last week of July. After a dinner of Mike's Seafood and ice cream from A La Mode, we settled in to watch that night's Phillies game, and as has been the case for a lot of games this season, it was not an enjoyable game. In fact, the Braves blew them out 15-3 and infielder Ronald Torreyes was called upon to finish out the game for the Phillies on the mound. The Phillies poor play gave me some extra time to browse eBay, searching specifically for some of the remaining cards needed for the third series.
First, I won an auction for the Williams card and then I bid on a bunch (20 or so) of cards up for auction from Greg Morris Cards, winning only three of them. This Moeller card was one of the three cards won with a winning bid of $2.80. The three cards arrived from Los Angeles and were waiting for us when we returned from Doug's latest baseball tournament in the Trenton area. He pitched well for his team and while playing center field made a game-saving, diving catch that his Dad was too slow to photograph or record.
The Card / Dodgers Team Set
Moeller appeared in nine Topps flagship sets throughout the 1960s, and there's not much variety in any of his cards. I may be wrong, but it looks as if Topps used photos from the same early 1960s session for Moeller's baseball cards issued between 1964 and 1969. The cartoon on the back shows Moeller in action while water skiing, still wearing his baseball hat.
The Card / Dodgers Team Set
Moeller appeared in nine Topps flagship sets throughout the 1960s, and there's not much variety in any of his cards. I may be wrong, but it looks as if Topps used photos from the same early 1960s session for Moeller's baseball cards issued between 1964 and 1969. The cartoon on the back shows Moeller in action while water skiing, still wearing his baseball hat.
1965 Season
Moeller spent the entire season with the Spokane Indians in the Pacific Coast League, appearing in 27 games and going 7-10 with a 4.23 ERA. He had been troubled by a back injury in spring training, but still made the Dodgers opening day roster. However, Moeller hadn't appeared in a game a month into the season and was demoted down to Spokane. He'd miss more time after injuring his shoulder while attempting to break up a dugout scuffle between teammates Bill Singer and Larry Staab.
Phillies Connection
Moeller was dealt by the Padres to the Phillies on May 30, 1973, and he reported to the Phillies top farm club in Eugene, Oregon. His statistics with the Eugene Emeralds are apparently missing as Baseball Reference shows him with 16 appearances for the club, with no other information available. Per the Phillies 1974 Media Guide, Moeller made 23 appearances with the Emeralds, pitching 63 innings and going 1-7 with a 5.43 ERA.
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First Mainstream Card: 1963 Topps #53
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (9): 1963-1971
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1981 TCMA The 1960s II #448
38 - Moeller non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 9/24/21.
Sources:
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia
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Next Card: #239 Doc Edwards - Kansas City Athletics
I have a very interesting 1968 Joe Moeller card:
ReplyDeletehttps://1968topps.blogspot.com/2009/09/two-faced-cards.html