Dobie Moore

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Walter "Dobie" Moore (1895 or 1896 - ?) was an American shortstop and right-handed batter in the Negro Leagues who played his entire career with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro National League. His career ended after only seven seasons when he shattered his already injured leg while escaping a woman who had shot him.

Born in Georgia, Moore served in the United States Army and played for the 25th Infantry Wreckers from 1916 to 1920, along with Bullet Rogan and other future Negro Leaguers. He went directly to the Monarchs in mid-season 1920, where he was the league's top shortstop until his career ended. 5'11" and 230 pounds, he fielded his position with Gold Glove ability and hit for a .359 lifetime batting average with better than average power and speed.

Nicknamed "the Black Cat", Moore won the NNL batting title in 1924 when he hit .453. He helped the Monarchs to three league titles (1923, 1924, and 1925), and one Colored World Series title in 1924. He batted .300 in the 1923 Series and .364 in a losing cause in the 1925 Series. He had the highest lifetime batting average (.385) in the California Winter League, which was the first integrated league in the United States, and starred in the 1923-24 Cuban Winter League in his only season there.

His career ended abruptly in mid-1926 when he was shot in the leg by a girlfriend and suffered a compound fracture jumping from a second-story balcony to escape from her. He reportedly played semi-pro ball in Detroit into the 1930s as a stiff-legged first baseman. His date of death is not known ([1]).

[edit] Analysis

Moore's career is difficult to assess due to a number of reasons. First and foremost, he played comparatively shortened seasons in the Negro Leagues compared to the white big leagues, reducing his raw numbers by close to 50%. Second, the NNL did not begin play until 1920, and Moore's time playing for the 25th Infantry team is even more difficult to assess, as few records exist. Last, he was near his peak as a player when he suffered his career-ending injury. He is considered by some analysts to have been one of the five best shortstops (along with John Henry Lloyd, Willie Wells, Dick Lundy, and Home Run Johnson in Negro Leagues history.