Playing with the Enemy: A Baseball Prodigy, a World at War, and a Field of Broken Dreams

Born in a tiny, one-horse town in Ilinois, Gene Moore quickly discovered he had one remarkable gift: an ability to play baseball like a Major League hitter.

Before long, Moore was being selected alongside men twice his age to play on the town team. Word spread halfway across the United States about a country boy who could hit the ball a country mile. The Brooklyn Dodgers wanted to take a look at this 15-year-old farm kid, barely old enough to shave. Without a doubt, Moore was set for baseball stardom, but the attack on Pearl Harbor changed everything.

Inspired by true events, Playing with the Enemy is a riveting story of a depression-era youth and his brush with destiny. Instead of experiencing the glory of the Major Leagues, war sent Gene’s life careening off into an unexpected and unwanted direction.

After a lifetime of experiences jammed into a handful of years, a woman he didn’t know picked him up from a barroom floor, dusted him off, and helped him stand up and be the man he once was. From Sesser, Illinois, to the capture of German submarine U-505, to playing baseball with the enemy, this is a unique and exciting story that will capture the heart of any baseball fan.

About the Author
Gary W. Moore is the president and managing partner of Covenant Air & Water, LLC, a motivational speaker, and an accomplished musician. Gene Moore was his father. Gary lives in Bourbonnais, Illinois. JimMorris was a pitcher who made it into the Tampa Bay Devil Rayas as a 35-year-old pitcher and was the subject of the film The Rookie.