June 21, 2000

Moyer drafted by the Cleveland Indians

By Dave Feltner
Sports Editor

The short drive to see his son play baseball won't be available to Dan Moyer, but considering the reward, that's just fine.

Moyer's son Kyle, who was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 18th round of the 1999 June draft, has skipped a level of minor league ball and will make his debut with the Class A Columbus Redstixx on Thursday.

Moyer, who set a state record with 22 home runs his senior season at Mohawk, spent last summer with the Rookie League Burlington Indians where he hit .265 with a homer and 10 RBIs in 132 at bats.

The next rung on the ladder would have been the Class A Mahoning Valley Scrappers in Niles, Ohio, but after an impressive extended spring training, Kyle Moyer made the jump to the Redstixx.

Although both teams are Class A, the Scrappers are a short-season team and are considered a step down from the Columbus, Ga. team.

"Kyle went to spring training in March and stayed (after the season started) in extended spring training," Dan Moyer said. "He had a great time and he got in great shape. He looks a lot different than he did a year ago.

"We were hoping he would get promoted to Mahoning Valley so we could drive to see him play, but he had such a good spring training that he's been promoted to Columbus."

In fact, Moyer's spring was so impressive he was voted most improved player by the coaches at the extended camp.

His numbers at Burlington weren't exactly eye-popping, but his .265 average was the fourth highest on the team and his homer was one of only 34 hit by the Indians in 70 games.

"There's a lot kids just out of high school in that league, and everyone is adjusting to wooden bats," Dan Moyer said. "The slowest pitcher in the Appalachian League was faster than anyone Kyle faced in high school. He got off to a good start last year, but he kind of hit a wall toward the end."

Since then it's been a star-struck existence for Kyle. Because the Indians host their major and minor league spring trainings at the same complex in Winter Haven, Fla., Moyer got to rub elbows with the likes of Jim Thome, Charles Nagy and Bartolo Colon.

Moyer, a first baseman, also got a chance to hit against Braves' controversial closer John Rocker, who also stayed in extended camp while serving his unprecedented suspension for his comments on minorities.

"The teams in that game had a mutual locker room, so Kyle got to talk to (Rocker) for about five minutes," Dan Moyer said. "It's also been neat for him because while (Indians General Manager) John Hart was walking around camp, he'd walk by and say 'Hey, how ya doin' Kyle?' I think that made him feel part of the team for the first time. He's watched these guys on TV and now he's working out with them."

The Redstixx are on their All-Star break, and won nine games in a row to finish in first place of the South Division of the South Atlantic League with a 41-29 record.

Carlos Batista played first base for the Redstixx in the first half, hitting .223 with three homers and 17 RBIs in 202 at bats. Batista was Moyer's teammate at Burlington last summer.

The top hitter for Columbus is third baseman Nate Grindell, who hit .298 with 15 homers and 60 RBIs in 265 at bats in the first half.

Redstixx boxscores are posted daily at www.redstixx.com.