Shortstop catches some breaks in getaway game
Knowing and doing are two different things in the game of baseball. Peter Mooney understood this and knew he had to bridge the difference.
So, he prayed.
Two hours and 24 minutes later, his batting average jumped 102 points.
"I actually prayed extra long today," said Mooney after USC's 9-4 win Sunday. "I feel like it worked out for me. The balls found a hole, finally."
Mooney, a junior college transfer from Loxahatchee, Fla., knew he was a good hitter. His teammates knew he was a good hitter. Ray Tanner and his coaching staff knew he was a good hitter.
The numbers through five games, however, didn't indicate that. Sure, Mooney was hitting the ball hard. His bat was making as close to a pinging noise on contact as the new BBCOR standard bats can produce more often than not. But at-bat after at-bat was ending in the converse of Wee Willie Keeler's timeless hitting philosophy.
Mooney was hitting 'em where they were. Every time he had a good swing, there was a defender on the other end to record an out.
"It's part of the game," Mooney said. "Baseball's a game of failure and you can deal with it, then you can go a long way. Keep swinging the bat; that's all you can do."
The legacy of Mooney's forbearers didn't help the slow start. Like the New York Yankees' center fielder, the Los Angeles Lakers' center and the Green Bay Packers' quarterback, the shortstop position at USC has earned itself a reputation for being occupied by greatness ever since Tanner became coach. Adam Everett, Brian Roberts, Steve Tolleson and Drew Meyer each went from wearing out the space between third and second at old Sarge Frye Stadium to the big leagues, while Bobby Haney etched his place in history by handling the position as steadily as one could imagine during last season's run to a national title.
So, when Mooney arrived in Columbia as Haney's replacement with two junior college national Gold Glove awards to his name, a reputation as a dependable batter and having spurned the St. Louis Cardinals, who drafted him in the 46th round of the 2010 MLB Draft, it was natural the comparisons began. He wasn't baseball's version of Jadeveon Clowney, but there were early expectations — ones Mooney didn't immediately meet.
"I know what kind of hitter I am," Mooney said. "As long as I keep hitting them, they'll find a hole. It's frustrating, but you've got to get over it."
They finally found a hole in this one. Mooney went 3-for-3 with two RBI. One of the three base hits served as perfect summation of the day — a blooper falling just in front of a charging SIU outfielder, allowing Mooney to use his speed to hustle for a double. In the only plate appearance that didn't result in Mooney reaching base, he did his job — executing a sacrifice bunt after fouling out to the catcher in a similar spot on Saturday.
By the end of business Sunday, Mooney was above his sub-Mendoza Line average of .190 and batting a much more respectable .292.
"That's part of baseball," Tanner said. "He hit it a lot better than his numbers indicated, and it started to come back to him a little bit [today]."
Mooney said a drop to the eight-hole in the lineup Sunday after batting leadoff or second in the first five games didn't change his approach, and Tanner said it was more a move to try and get usual leadoff man Evan Marzilli hitting than one to get Mooney going.
But, the switch couldn't have hurt. Mooney likely saw more fastballs lower in the order. Tanner said Saturday he likely had been putting too much offensive pressure on Mooney by putting him in a situation where he's depended on to advance runners, while he tried to get his feet wet at the Division-I level.
Either way, things finally fell in a hole and into place for Mooney.
"The game evens out," Tanner said. "Sometimes you get frustrated with it as a player, but you've got to keep the faith that it will all balance out for you if you keep playing."
Faith. Prayer. Three hits and two RBI.
Peter Mooney is beginning to do what he knows he can.