It's easy to root for a guy like Moss. Drafted in the eighth-round out of high school, he played with Boston, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia before finally catching on with Oakland in 2012, where he was beloved by fans, media and teammates. Traded to the Indians in the offseason, Moss is expected to provide much needed pop to a lineup that had just one player with more than 25 home runs last season.
Ultimate Hipster: In 2014, Moss enjoyed his first All-Star season while battling a hip injury that required offseason surgery. "It was one of those things that gradually got worse and worse," he says. By midsummer, he was severely limited. "I couldn't hit through the ball."
No Moss: At one point in his career, Moss considered leaving baseball to become a firefighter. He'd been in professional baseball for almost 10 years, bouncing around the minor leagues and three different organizations. Things changed when he finally realized he was never going to hit .300, but he could mash home runs. "I'm a power hitter," he says. "Once I kind of embraced that and developed an approach that fit that, I took off."
Green with Envy: Moss is happy to play at Progressive Field after three seasons in Oakland's pitcher-friendly O.Co Coliseum. "That's where fly balls go to die," he says. Moss hit .324 with two homers, five doubles and 10 RBIs in 34 at bats as a visitor at Progressive Field. "I've always played really well there," he says.
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