Selections from Matt Moore’s Media Guide Entry

Tampa Bay Rays prized left-handed prospect Matt Moore makes his first appearance of the spring (at 1:05pm ET, available on Gameday Audio) after dealing with an abdominal strain.

For those unfamiliar with the entirety of Moore’s professional career to date, here are some selections from his entry in the 2012 Tampa Bay Rays Media Guide:

• Was Gatorade’s 2007 New Mexico Player of the Year at Moriarty High School, which finished as state runners-up… also played basketball and golf… played first base and outfield when he wasn’t pitching… agreed to attend University of New Mexico before signing with the Rays.

• Led all minor league pitchers in 2008 with a 12.75 SO/9 IP ratio and .154 opp avg… named Pitcher of the Year for Rookie-level Princeton, where he spent a second straight season… led the Rays org. in ERA and ranked 6th among all minor league pitchers… topped the Appalachian League in strikeouts.

• Matt’s favorite pitcher growing up was his own future self.

• Led all minor leaguers in 2009 with 176 SO in just 123 IP and led all full-season minor leaguers with a 12.88 SO/9 IP and a .195 opp avg… was named Most Valuable Player for Bowling Green.

• Matt does everything left-handed, except make love. In this endeavor he is entirely ambidextrous.

• According to his parents, Matt was born with a baseball in his hand — literally. Doctors are still mystified by this development.

• In 2010, led all minor leaguers in strikeouts for a second straight season, with 208… became the first minor leaguer to eclipse 200 strikeouts since Francisco Liriano in 2005, and the first Florida State League pitcher to do so since 1971 (Mike Cosgrove, Cocoa Astros)… fanned 10-plus batters in 11 of his last 15 starts.

• If he had a time machine, Matt wouldn’t, as many say they would, go back and kill Hitler. Rather, he’d impregnate Hitler’s mother three days before Hitler was actually conceived and then raise that other child in a loving, nurturing household that recognized the beauty and inherent dignity of all peoples.

• In 2011, went 12-3 with a 1.92 ERA (155-IP, 33-ER) in a combined 27 starts for Montgomery and Durham… ranked 2nd in the entire minor leagues in ERA, strikeouts (210) and opp avg. (.184), and led all minor leaguers with 12.2 SO/9 IP… allowed only 101 hits and 46 walks.

• Matt has a collection of over 1000 thank-you cards from opposing batters, who’re honored just to have faced him competitively.