Auburn baseball has the ultimate utility man on its roster with outfielder/infielder Brody Moore. We examine his ability to defend all over the field.
While many who don’t understand the game of baseball may think playing different positions is just catching the ball from different angles all over the field, those more informed realize the difficulties of playing multiple positions on the baseball diamond. That’s what makes what Auburn baseball’s Brody Moore is able to do so difficult.
Moore was literally all over the baseball diamond beside the middle of it, with pitching, catching, and playing center field eluding him in 2020. Keep in mind, by the way, that the 2020 schedule was 19 games long due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
In the Tigers’ very first series alone, Moore played three different positions. A second baseman by trade, he started the first and third game of the opening series at his natural position, but somehow, Moore was able to steal some innings out in the field at shortstop and in right field against the University of Illinois at Chicago Flames in a series Auburn baseball was able to sweep.
In games Moore played “out of position”, the team won by a combined 32-1. Moore had two RBI’s in those contests.
Things continued to get silly as Moore manned first base for the team’s 17-1 desolation of the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in the team’s fifth game. He took over the hot corner against Wright State in a 20-6 blowout.
Obviously, the common theme for Moore’s utility tendencies is the team being up big. Taking chances in close competitive games isn’t exactly how a coach keeps his jobs in Division I athletics, let alone the SEC.
That said, having someone that can provide a stable glove all over the field is something that can be the difference-maker in a close game.
Auburn baseball has Moore in their back pocket if such a situation ever arises.