Peter Moylan, a right-handed relief pitcher from Western Australia was signed by the Minnesota Twins at the age of 17, played rookie ball for three years and was then released. Seven and a half years later he made his debut for Team Australia in the 2006 World Baseball Classic, which proved to be the turning point for his career, being picked up the next day by the Atlanta Braves.
He played rookie ball for three weeks before making his Major League debut on April 12, 2006, pitching a scoreless inning against the Philadelphia Phillies. He spent seven years with the Braves before being picked up by the Los Angeles Dodgers at the beginning of 2013 and the Houston Astros later that year. Playing in the Bigs has been a career highlight for Moylan, proving to those that doubted him that he did possess the raw talent to be a success in the sport.
Currently recovering from his second Tommy John surgery, he has taken the opportunity to give back to the sport he loves. Filling the role of pitching coach for the 15U team at the 2014 IBAF World Cup in Mexico, was something Moylan has always wanted to do, and for him the timing was perfect as he is currently rehabbing and unable to play.
Waiting at a Mexican airport, before he jumped a plane back to his US home in Atlanta, Moylan explained that although the 15U team didn't have a successful tournament, it was a learning experience for everyone involved. “For me at this age group they are still young enough that you can still get into their heads, give them some guidance and confidence and mold them into a really good player”.
His first coaching experience was nerve-racking, “I am in control of what I am doing when I am playing, I do not have as much control when I am coaching. I said to the kids I was more nervous than they were when we played Cuba because I literally could not do anything. I was sitting there watching my fate be controlled by a bunch of 15 year old kids.”
His advice to the young players who dream of making into the majors is “you may think you are the greatest player in Australia, but tournaments like this prove how many countries there are that play the game at a higher level then we are currently capable of. You need to work extremely hard in order to get to where you want to be.”
Moylan is an inspirational player and when asked what his future plans are we were excited to hear the answer.
“At this very moment I am considering rehab, so I can come back and play. My arm feels good right now and I think it will respond well. I am hoping to rehab till I’m one hundred percent, which should be April, then I will hopefully start pitching again for some teams.
“I definitely still want to play, and will all depend on how my arm responds to the throwing program I start this week. I love competing and I am going to keep trying to do it as long as someone keeps giving me a job”
Moylan loves everything about the sport he has played since he was eleven years old. It is a game “you can’t slow play, you have to play 9 innings no matter what, whether it is going to take 5 hours or 2 hours, you can’t run the clock out, you can’t kick the ball backwards, it is a game you have to complete in order to win.”
For more updates about Peter Moylan and his comeback to Major League Baseball visit baseball.com.au.