Local baseball “giant” Jim Moose passed away on Oct. 24, at the age of 82.
By Jim Goorman
LocalSportsJournal.com
MUSKEGON – Our Muskegon area has lost a second baseball “giant” in a week as Jim Moose passed away on Oct. 24, 2025, at 82 years of age.
It is a huge loss as Jim bridged the gap from Mr. Baseball, Les David, of the 1960s to the Gawkowski’s (Pete and Walt) in the modern day.
It is difficult to comprehend the loss of Pete Gawkowski for baseball fortunes in the future just as it is to lose a much beloved Jim Moose. His contagious smile and positive outlook stood as a monument for him.
Moose came to Muskegon from Allegan with his best friend, Dale Bush, and began the publication Buyers’ Guide in 1974. It was a classified magazine for selling many types of items. This was the avenue that Jim was going to use as he developed what he really loved: Baseball.
He could now support teams in the summer city baseball league consisting of young men and, oh yes, young women.
Moose financially supported baseball teams for the Muskegon City Leagues and a women’s softball team. He poured in money in the 1970s to basically make up a city league because, you see, there were only five teams and Jim supported three of them.
Moose played with and coached the Buyers’ Guide Barons and financed the Buyers’ Guide Knights and Cavaliers. He loved to watch young talent develop and to participate as he did with the very successful Barons team, for which yours truly played.
His career directed him later to coach the baseball teams at Muskegon High School, Muskegon Community College, and Little League. But playing baseball and talking baseball were passions of his. He played with and coached the Barons in the 1970s and the early-1980s and would pencil himself in the lineup only if there was a need.
As former teammate of his, Tom Kling stated, “He had a nice, left-handed swing and would hit an occasional home run but could not run well.”
At 6-foot-5, he was an imposing threat at the plate, but he had difficulties with his feet, which later led to diabetes and much later his passing. Moose had all his toes surgically removed at 62 years old, which makes walking very difficult, of course.
But his most notable days playing, as Ted Suida recalls, were taking his team to Traverse City for a tournament where he hit the ball all over the park and was named to the all-tournament team. He most likely took his team to the park with the suburban which he purchased basically for transporting his players.
Many times his wife, Carleen, would fix sandwiches, which longtime Barons player Brian Wright aptly named “Hamisamies.”
Great baseball memories, which continue on today.
Besides his passion to coach and play baseball, Moose loved to talk about the National Pastime and to visit Major League parks like Comiskey, Wrigley, and Tiger Stadium.
Yours truly recalls riding in our car after watching the Muskegon Big Reds football finals at Ford Field. For three hours, Moose spoke of Ted Williams, the greatest hitter, and an assortmant of modern players’ skills. It was a clinic in a car with no bat or ball.
Ted Siuda spoke of Moose and his favorite player, Alan Trammell. It was Alan Trammell Bobblehead Day, and Moose and some players went to Tiger Stadium to attend the game but especially to obtain the bobblehead. As luck would have it, after stopping for lunch at the Portland exit, Moose spent an enormous amount of time talking baseball to other patrons. To the chagrin of his friends, they were too late for the Trammell bobbleheads as they were all given away earlier.
The big reason for going was now an opportunity missed – alll caused by the Jim Moose love to talk about the National Pastime.
Jim’s love for his family also stood out as he loved to watch his grandkids play. His son, Joe, was the assistant coach with him for the Muskegon Big Reds baseball team.
Moose is already missed by his family, no longer there at Halloween to hand out candy or to create his usual haunted house.
His grandson, Eric, said it correctly before Halloween, “Grandpa is not here, so I will hand out candy as he did from the garage.”
Goodbye old friend, Jim.
You made life better for everyone and left your baseball legacy.
LocalSportsJournal.com
MUSKEGON – Our Muskegon area has lost a second baseball “giant” in a week as Jim Moose passed away on Oct. 24, 2025, at 82 years of age.
It is a huge loss as Jim bridged the gap from Mr. Baseball, Les David, of the 1960s to the Gawkowski’s (Pete and Walt) in the modern day.
It is difficult to comprehend the loss of Pete Gawkowski for baseball fortunes in the future just as it is to lose a much beloved Jim Moose. His contagious smile and positive outlook stood as a monument for him.
Moose came to Muskegon from Allegan with his best friend, Dale Bush, and began the publication Buyers’ Guide in 1974. It was a classified magazine for selling many types of items. This was the avenue that Jim was going to use as he developed what he really loved: Baseball.
He could now support teams in the summer city baseball league consisting of young men and, oh yes, young women.
Moose financially supported baseball teams for the Muskegon City Leagues and a women’s softball team. He poured in money in the 1970s to basically make up a city league because, you see, there were only five teams and Jim supported three of them.
Moose played with and coached the Buyers’ Guide Barons and financed the Buyers’ Guide Knights and Cavaliers. He loved to watch young talent develop and to participate as he did with the very successful Barons team, for which yours truly played.
His career directed him later to coach the baseball teams at Muskegon High School, Muskegon Community College, and Little League. But playing baseball and talking baseball were passions of his. He played with and coached the Barons in the 1970s and the early-1980s and would pencil himself in the lineup only if there was a need.
As former teammate of his, Tom Kling stated, “He had a nice, left-handed swing and would hit an occasional home run but could not run well.”
At 6-foot-5, he was an imposing threat at the plate, but he had difficulties with his feet, which later led to diabetes and much later his passing. Moose had all his toes surgically removed at 62 years old, which makes walking very difficult, of course.
But his most notable days playing, as Ted Suida recalls, were taking his team to Traverse City for a tournament where he hit the ball all over the park and was named to the all-tournament team. He most likely took his team to the park with the suburban which he purchased basically for transporting his players.
Many times his wife, Carleen, would fix sandwiches, which longtime Barons player Brian Wright aptly named “Hamisamies.”
Great baseball memories, which continue on today.
Besides his passion to coach and play baseball, Moose loved to talk about the National Pastime and to visit Major League parks like Comiskey, Wrigley, and Tiger Stadium.
Yours truly recalls riding in our car after watching the Muskegon Big Reds football finals at Ford Field. For three hours, Moose spoke of Ted Williams, the greatest hitter, and an assortmant of modern players’ skills. It was a clinic in a car with no bat or ball.
Ted Siuda spoke of Moose and his favorite player, Alan Trammell. It was Alan Trammell Bobblehead Day, and Moose and some players went to Tiger Stadium to attend the game but especially to obtain the bobblehead. As luck would have it, after stopping for lunch at the Portland exit, Moose spent an enormous amount of time talking baseball to other patrons. To the chagrin of his friends, they were too late for the Trammell bobbleheads as they were all given away earlier.
The big reason for going was now an opportunity missed – alll caused by the Jim Moose love to talk about the National Pastime.
Jim’s love for his family also stood out as he loved to watch his grandkids play. His son, Joe, was the assistant coach with him for the Muskegon Big Reds baseball team.
Moose is already missed by his family, no longer there at Halloween to hand out candy or to create his usual haunted house.
His grandson, Eric, said it correctly before Halloween, “Grandpa is not here, so I will hand out candy as he did from the garage.”
Goodbye old friend, Jim.
You made life better for everyone and left your baseball legacy.
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