John Henry Moss
| John Henry Moss | |
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| Minor League Baseball executive and Politician | |
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Born: November 10, 1918 Kings Mountain, North Carolina |
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Died: July 1, 2009 (aged 90) Kings Mountain, North Carolina |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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John Henry Moss (November 10, 1918 – July 1, 2009) was a baseball executive and politician. Well known for his strong leadership and organizational skills, Moss was a key contributor to the development of Minor League Baseball during more than six decades, helping bring professional baseball to 43 United States cities represented by 114 ownership groups, by stressing the importance of providing quality, wholesome, family-friendly entertainment at an affordable price. Over the years, Moss gained inductions into five Halls of Fame and also received numerous honours for his commendable contributions to baseball.
Moss was born in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, Cleveland County, as the son of Manuel A. Moss and Amanda Oates Moss. As a young man, he started the Western Carolina League in 1948and refounded it as South Atlantic League in 1980, transforming a regional eight-team Class-D league into a Minor League Baseball Class-A powerhouse through the years. As a result, at age 30, Moss became the youngest person elected president of a professional baseball league in 1948.
Moss began his baseball career as a minor leaguer in 1940, playing briefly for the Shelby Colonels of the Tar Heel League, a Class-D affiliate of the Washington Senators. He then joined the US Army and served during World War II conflict.
Upon returning to Kings Mountain in 1947, Moss founded the aforementioned semi-professional Western Carolina League. Before the 1948 season, having established eight franchises in North Carolina cities like Hendersonville, Lenoir, Lincolnton, Marion, Morganton, Shelby, and Newton–Conover, the league was approved for membership in the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, now known as Minor League Baseball. The Western Carolina League was classified as a Class-D league, by then the lowest among the ranks of organized baseball.
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