John Henry Moss

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.

Early life Moss was born in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, as the son of Manuel A. Moss and Amanda Oates Moss. As a young man, he started the Western Carolina League (now known as the South Atlantic League) in 1948 and re-founded it in 1960, transforming a regional eight-team Class-D league into one of the nation's most highly regarded Class-A leagues over the years. Moss was just 29 years old in 1948, making him the youngest person ever to be president of a professional baseball league.

Minor league player and founder 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. By the time, the Western Carolinas League featured eight teams based in North Carolina, but eventually would expand to various cities of South Carolina.

After the Continental League was blocked by the Major League Baseball expansion in 1961 and 1962,

In the process, Moss headed the circuit until 2007 and boasted 16 franchises spread out across eight states, stretching from south Georgia to New Jersey and westward to Ohio and Kentucky, with half of these clubs playing in facilities constructed in 2001 or later. During this time, Moss received invaluable assistance from his wife Elaine Caroline Beilke Moss, This project included the building of the Kings Mountain Reservoir, also known as Moss Lake, named in his honor. The Moss Lake was noted by the Cleveland County Chamber of Commerce as one of the top five most important events of the 20th century in Cleveland Count history.

Honors Moss was dubbed "King of Baseball" in 1990

Moreover, Moss was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame as part of their 2004 class, and also in the North Carolina American Legion Sports Hall of Fame, the Kings Mountain Sports Hall of Fame, and the Cleveland County Sports Hall of Fame.

Following his retirement in 2007, Moss was honored by the South Atlantic League throughout the 2008 season. The league's board of directors voted at the Baseball Winter Meetings held in Nashville to retire the uniform number 50 throughout the South Atlantic League, to honor Moss for his dedicated 50 years of service to the circuit. According to South Atlantic League records, the only other number that is retired league-wide is the number 42, honoring Jackie Robinson, which was retired throughout Minor League Baseball in 1997. It was followed by the event 2008 Celebration Tour, which was hosted at each of the league's 16 ballparks, where each club honored Moss during a pre-game ceremony. Additionally, a cast bronze plaque was installed in each park to pay tribute for his 50 years of outstanding service to the Western Carolinas/South Atlantic League.

Moss died in his native Kings Mountain on July 1, 2009, aged 90. He had been hospitalized at the Kings Mountain Hospital after suffering a stroke on June 7.

Beginning 2013, Minor League Baseball created the John Henry Moss Community Service Award, which is presented annually at the Baseball Winter Meetings. The award honors Moss for his dedication and charitable service to baseball and his community during his 50-year tenure as a league president, and is presented to a Minor League club that has demonstrated an outstanding, on-going commitment to charitable service and has exhibited support and leadership within its local community and the baseball industry throughout the season.

Award winners YearTeamLeague Grand Junction Rockies Pioneer League Pawtucket Red Sox International League Fort Wayne TinCaps Midwest League Round Rock Express Pacific Coast League