The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Saturday that former outfielder Wally Moon has died at the age of 87.
Moon was a two-sport athlete at Texas A&M University, excelling in both baseball and basketball. He began his professional career in the spring of 1954 with the St. Louis Cardinals.
He hit a home run in his first career big league at-bat and wound up winning the 1954 National League Rookie of the Year Award after batting .304/.371/435 with 12 home runs, 76 RBIs and 106 runs scored.
Moon was named an All-Star on two separate occasions, in 1957 with St. Louis and then in 1959, his first year in the Dodgers organization. The outfielder also won a Gold Glove while with the Dodgers in 1960.
The 1965 season was Moon’s last, as he decided to retire after 12 Major League seasons, with the last seven coming in Los Angeles.
Moon won three World Series championships in his time with the Dodgers (1959, 1963, 1965), and was a career .289 batter with 142 home runs.
Upon retiring, Moon pursued a career in coaching, serving as a batting coach for the San Diego Padres and then eventually becoming the Athletic Director and baseball coach at John Brown University.
Dodger fans got a chance to see Moon for the last time in 2017, as he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Dodger Stadium on Opening Day, along with former manager Tommy Lasorda.
Moon was often known for hitting towering home runs that many referred to as “Moon Shots,” and his legacy will live on forever in the Dodgers community.
