Less than 12 hours after watching his team fall in the 15^th inning to the Oakland Athletics, Matt Moore, a starting pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays, was in Alameda to attend a session of the Diamond Skills Camp. Though he may have been exhausted from his late night, Moore took the time to answer some questions and interact with the campers, even having to do push-ups after getting roped into a pitching challenge and losing.

Moore’s own journey through baseball is somewhat unique. “I grew up in Okinawa, Japan, a little bit and also in Albuquerque, New Mexico, so there’s not a major sports team there,” Moore said. But he stuck with the game, being named the number one prospect of the 2012 season earlier this year by MLB.com. When speaking to the campers, Moore spoke about the importance of continually playing baseball. “I think it’s important because kids come to a camp like this for not only the experience of being around their friends but to hear advice and to see players come here,” Moore said. “Buster’s [Posey, the special guest at Diamond Skills the week before] been here, and that kind of gives them something to shoot for as far as seeing somebody that’s playing right down the street and coming to their little league field and working out with them basically. It’s a good time too. It’s good community relations and helps keep the kids active.” Even though he has no ties to northern California, Moore managed to relate to the campers through their mutual love of baseball, the game that drives all of those present in every aspect of their lives.

            While he may seem much older than most of the campers, Moore himself is fairly new to the big leagues. After being drafted out of high school in 2007, Moore worked his way through the minors before getting a call up to play for the Rays in September 2011. His youth makes him a figure relatable, as he fills a role similar to one that his brother did for him. “My brother was a huge role model in my life as far as sports go,” Moore said. “Whatever he was doing, I was doing. To this day, I’m pretty sure that if he wouldn’t have been playing baseball, I wouldn’t have picked up a bat either.” In a way, his appearance at the Diamond Skills Camp is to hopefully inspire the new generation of Matt Moore’.

            When the day was done, the campers walked away with a better appreciation for the challenges that Major League Baseball can present – and while most of them are Oakland Athletics’ fans, it’s likely that the Rays gained a few more followers by the next time Moore takes the mound.