What are the motifs in The Catcher Was a Spy: The Mysterious Life of Moe Berg by Nicholas Dawidoff?

Espionage is a recurring idea. Moe Berg would become a spy during World War II. The writer of this book is unclear on Moe's reasons for choosing such a career, but feels that there is a strong connection between this action and the death of Moe's father on the day he quit baseball, a career his father deeply detested.