With the 2022 World Series wrapping up this weekend, I thought it would be appropriate to pay homage to a distant cousin who actually played in the Major Leagues.

Royal Ellis Moran was born September 17, 1884 in Vincennes, Indiana¹ to James P Moran² and Lenora Deem. Roy, also known as “Deedle”, began his baseball career with Vincennes in the Kitty League prior to 1907. His official professional baseball career as an outfielder started at Peoria, Illinois in 1907 before moving to the Jacksonville club in Iowa. In 1908, and for a large portion of his 12 year career, he played for the Atlanta Crackers of the Class A Southern Association. He had one stint in the Major Leagues in September 1912 playing 7 games for the Washington Senators. In 22 plate appearances, he had 2 hits, 8 walks, 4 strikeouts and 3 stolen bases. He scored 1 run.¹

In his private life, Roy was married twice. His first marriage was to Vera Young on September 24, 1907 in Lawrenceville, Illinois³. Vera was a young local actress and the elopement was a surprise to most everyone. The marriage was short lived, however, as Vera filed for divorce in Knox County Court the following February⁴ citing that she had not yet been sixteen at the time of the nuptials and that he was cruel and inhumane. The divorce was granted in April 1908⁵.

Following the 1910 baseball season, Roy married Betty Woodward in Atlanta, Georgia on October 29⁶. Together they had one daughter, Muriel, who was born in 1915⁷. Roy supported his family as a salesman for a variety of businesses through the years^7-10. Roy died in Atlanta on July 18, 1966¹¹. He was 81 years old.

Roy’s lineage can be traced back to Polly DeMoss and Thomas Harmon who were originally from Fleming County, Kentucky. Polly is believed to be a sibling of my 4th great-grandfather William DeMoss.

References

1. Baseball Reference website – Roy Moran Statistics
2. 1900 US Census, Johnson Township, Knox County, Indiana, ED 46, Sheet 2B, HH 33.
3. Western Sun, Vincennes, Indiana, volume 104, issue 3, 27 September 1907, page 4.
4. Vincennes Commercial, Vincennes, Indiana, volume 23, issue 264, 18 February 1908, page 4.
5. Vincennes Commercial, Vincennes, Indiana, volume 24, issue 54, 21 April 1908, page 1.
6. Georgia, US, Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1828-1978, book Q, 1909-1910, Ancestry.com.
7. 1920 US Census, Atlanta City Ward 4, Fulton County, Georgia, ED 83, Sheet 1B, HH 10/19.
8. 1930 US Census, Atlanta District 121, Fulton County, Georgia, ED 61-121, Sheet 8B, HH 170.
9. 1940 US Census, Atlanta Ward 5, Fulton County, Georgia, ED 160-216, Sheet 8A, HH 176.
10. 1950 US Census, Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, ED 160-433, Sheet 9, HH 95.
11. Georgia, US, Death Index, 1919-1998, Ancestry.