Fact Check: Did a former MLB player go undercover during WWII in an attempt to assassinate Werner Heisenberg?

The MLB has a rich history that spans over 100 years. In this time, the league has witnessed countless unique characters and stories that have lasted the test of time. From a player working as a grave digger in the offseason to a player being ejected from a game for falling asleep in the center field, professional baseball has countless stories that have left generations amused and in awe.

One of the most interesting stories in MLB history comes with former catcher Morris “Moe” Berg. The New York native appeared in 663 games over his 15-year professional career which spanned from 1923 to 1939. While he enjoyed a successful career in baseball, it was what he did following his playing days that etched his name forever in history.

Following his career as a player, Morris Berg joined the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) which was an American intelligence agency that operated during World War II. Berg's abilities with foreign languages made him an ideal candidate to work with the OSS.

After working in the organization for a few years, Berg found himself in Zurich with a special assignment: assassinate Werner Heisenberg. Known as the leader of German physics, there was fear that Heisenberg would help the Nazis develop a nuclear weapon.

"Today in #SpyHistory: Morris "Moe" Berg, MLB catcher who later served as a spy for the Office of Strategic Services during WWII, died in 1972. Berg served as an OSS agent who carried out acts of espionage and sabotage to thwart Hitler's nuclear program." — The International Spy Museum.

With a .45 caliber pistol and a cyanide capsule, the former Chicago White Sox player reportedly had three opportunities to complete his mission, but it never happened. Although Morris Berg never assassinated Heisenberg, the fact that a former catcher was assigned with killing a Nazi physicist is one of the craziest stories in baseball history.

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Moe Berg was one of many MLB players who served in World War II

While Morris Berg may have had one of the most notorious missions during World War II, he was not the only baseball player who served. Many of the biggest baseball legends of the era served or enlisted in the military.

That being said, some players had varying levels of involvement in the war (Joe DiMaggio was given special privileges and did not see action). Some notable players who served during World War II included Jackie Robinson, Yogi Berra, Ted Williams, Bob Feller, and Stan Musial.