By Frank Terry, Canton Repository

7/5/2009: Canton, OH – Steve Moylens has heard it all.  He's been called broken, a mistake, and a glitch in some cosmic baseball system.  "I don't apologize for who I am," said Moylens.  "I just do what I do.”  What Moylens does is hit.  Hit singles.  A lot of singles.  77 of Moylens 85 hits this year have not gone for extra bases; his ISO is a glittering .042.

Scouts have called Moylens an aberration, a slap hitter and a total wuss.  Moylens doesn't argue any of that.  "I'm 6'0", 195 lbs… what am I supposed to do?  I'm a pansy and I know it.”  Recently owners around the PEBA have begun something of a witch hunt for players of Moylens ilk.  "Oh yeah," said Commissioner John Rodriguez, "I'll kill them, make them retire, threaten them with an Italian… I just want them gone.”  Moylens plays on unconcerned.  "The Commissioner can come after me; I know how to take care of myself.  Besides, I like Italians."

So how does Moylens stay alive (literally) in a world where he is anathema?  For starters, Moylens knows how to work a count.  Eight walks in 251 plate appearances may not seem like a lot, but it's ok with Steve.  "I would rather swing, but occasionally I'm kind of tired or I lose track of the count.”  Moylens counters his recalcitrance to actually walk by using his discipline at the plate to get ahead in counts.  When Moylens is ahead in the count (which he has been 59 times compared to being behind 55) he puts up a rather gaudy .424/.477/.475 line.  Interestingly, Moylens has only reached a 3-0 count one time.  "I was very uncomfortable," said our free-swinging hero.

So what are Moylens plans?  "I want to play in the PEBA, just like every kid growing up out there does.”  Moylens .356/.384/.397 line does give him a .781 OPS and, for a 20-year-old in AA, that's quite good.  More to the point, Moylens mother has vocally defended her only son, thus placing even more pressure on him to perform.  "God gave me certain gifts," Moylens opines.  "I'd be an idiot not to use them."