On October 9, 1976 — On the way home from his party, Pirates reliever Bob Moose dies on his birthday in an automobile accident in Martin’s Ferry, Ohio. The 29-year-old, who no-hit the Mets in 1969, played his entire nine-year career with Pirates, compiling a 76-71 record along with an ERA of 3.50.
Moose, making a comeback after a two-year battle with injuries that had threatened his career, was killed Saturday night in a two-car collision on a rain-slicked, narrow, winding road near St. Clairsville, Ohio. It was his 29th birthday. Moose was headed toward what was to be a happy dinner party with other ballplayers following an annual golfing tournament. His fellow’ ballplayers were at the site of the accident within minutes. But Moose was pronounced dead on arrival at a hospital. Two women passengers, whom Moose had been asked to drive to the dinner party because their car had broken
down, were injured but released from the hospital after treatment. “Here’s a young man in the prime of his life, alive and healthy one minute and not with us anymore the next. I can’t tell you how depressing that is,” a shocked Danny Murtaugh, former Pirates’ manager, said from his home in Woodlyn, Pa. Moose was survived by his wife, Alberta, and daughter, April, 4. Moose’s body was brought to the Wolfe Bros. Funeral Home in his hometown of Export, east of Pittsburgh, for funeral services scheduled Wednesday at St. Mary’s Church. Following a funeral mass, burial will be in Twin Valley Memorial Park, Delmont,
Pa. The body was on view to the public after 7 p.m, today and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday. “He (Moose) was a very fine man,” said Joe L. Brown, who resigned two weeks ago as Pirates general manager. “His death is a tragedy, especially for his lovely wife and dear little daughter. There are a lot of fine ballplayers but Bob was a very special kind of person. Moose, whose career was almost ended by a blood clot, which necessitated removal of a rib during surgery, had gone to Ohio to take part with about eight other ballplayers in an annual golfing tournament hosted by former Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski.
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