Angels’ Torii Hunter sees himself in prospect Jeremy Moore

Torii Hunter is among baseball’s most loquacious players, but ask the Angels right fielder what he sees in Jeremy Moore, the 24-year-old outfield prospect he took into his home last winter, and the usually effusive veteran needs only one word to respond:

“Me.�

Hunter wasn’t just referring to Moore’s superb speed, athletic ability, power and aggressive outfield play. He was drawn to Moore during a rehabilitation assignment with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga in 2009 because of shared life experiences.

Hunter’s story is well-known. He grew up amid the gangs, drugs, poverty and violent crime of Pine Bluff, Ark., with a father addicted to crack cocaine and a mother who struggled to pay the bills and keep her four boys clothed and fed on her school teacher’s salary.

Moore’s story is not well-known but is similar. He grew up in Vivian, La., a tiny town about 20 miles north of Shreveport, where approximately 30% of the population lives below the poverty line.

His father in and out of jail, usually on drug-related charges, Moore, who hit .298 with 15 homers, 18 triples, 24 doubles and 66 runs batted in for triple-A Salt Lake before being called up by the Angels on Thursday, was raised by his mother and grandmother.

“They did the best they could,� said Moore, who flied out in his first big league at-bat Friday night. “Vivian is not the best place. There aren’t a lot of opportunities. Not many people go to school. There’s more crime. Nothing is given to you. To make something out of yourself, you have to push yourself.�

Hunter took a shine to Moore in 2009 and invited him to not only work out with him last winter but to live in his 19,900-square foot Mediterranean-style estate in Prosper, Texas. Camp Torii ran from early December to early February.

“They welcomed me like I was family,� Moore said. “Torii is a great mentor, not only with the baseball stuff. He taught me how to be a professional, how to approach the game. He taught me about the mental side of the game. It changed my career.�

Not surprisingly, Moore’s locker in the Angels clubhouse is right next to Hunter’s.

“I talk to him about baseball and life,� Hunter said. “He’s been through a lot of the things in life that I’ve been through, so I’m able to talk about the things he’s had to overcome to get here.�

Hunter thinks Moore, a sixth-round pick out of North Caddo High School in 2005, has a bright future with the Angels.

“You can see the talent he has, and athletically, he’s a freak of nature,� Hunter said. “He’s the type of guy who can jump flat-footed and touch the square of the backboard with both hands, who can run a 4.3-second 40-yard dash. He has a great arm, some power and all the intangibles.

“With him, Peter Bourjos, Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo here, this could be a very special club in the future.�

Alumni game

Hank Conger took part in a pregame ceremony Saturday honoring the Huntington Beach Ocean View team that won the Little League World Series.

The Angels catcher and former Huntington Beach High School standout played on the 2000 Ocean View team that came within one win of advancing to Williamsport, Pa.

“During the whole tournament, especially the final game against Japan, I relived all the feelings, emotions and nervousness I had,� Conger said. “We made it to the regional final, and everything was such a blur. I can only imagine what they were going through.�

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