Baseball catcher who also served briefly as a spy for the United States. His is said to be the only baseball card on display at the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency. Casey Stengel once described Berg as “the strangest man ever to play baseball.” Nine full pages of unsigned notations written by Moe Berg on nine sheets of Mayflower Hotel stationery, dated February 1, 1952, pages 4 through 12, originally acquired from the Moe Berg estate. Berg writes in a combination of shorthand and abbreviations, with Russian names and locations, complete with longitudes and latitudes. Locations mentioned include Moscow and Leningrad and Volsk, listing their commanders, supplies, including “nitrogen mustards, possibly HN3,” and other related details. In fine condition, with light bisecting vertical folds and several red crayon underlines. In 1952, Berg was hired by the CIA to use his old contacts from World War II to find out about Soviet atomic science. For the $10,000 plus expenses that Berg received, the CIA got nothing in return. The CIA officer that spoke with Berg when he returned from Europe said that he was “flaky.” Auction LOA Steve Grad/PSA/DNA and R&R COA.
