Mitch Moreland

Then-Texas Rangers' Mitch Moreland fills in as a relief pitcher against the Colorado Rockies in the eighth inning of an interleague game on Tuesday, May 6, 2014. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Texas Rangers trailed 12-1 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies on May 6, 2014 at Coors Field and manager Ron Washington's bullpen was taxed.

So he asked first baseman Mitch Moreland to pitch.

"I was three up, three down," Moreland told MassLive.com on Wednesday here at the Red Sox's spring training complex.

Moreland -- who the Red Sox signed to a one-year, $5.5-million contract in December -- indeed made quick work of the Rockies. He retired Jordan Pacheco on a liner to right field, Corey Dickerson on a fly ball to right field and Charlie Blackmon on a grounder back to the mound.

"They wouldn't let me throw any breaking balls," Moreland said. "I threw a left-on-left change."

Moreland was an outstanding pitcher in high school. He then pitched and played first base at Mississippi State. He received strong interest from scouts for his pitching.

"To be honest with you, I thought I would be pitching," Moreland said.

Just how dominant was he? The following are some of his pitching stats during high school, per his Mississippi State profile:

* He went 25-2 during his career at Amory High in Amory, Miss.

* He went 7-1 with an 0.53 ERA, 112 strikeouts and 19 walks in 55 innings as a senior.

* He went 10-1 with a 2.13 ERA and 81 strikeouts for the Tupelo 49ers Senior American Legion, which won the state championship.

* He went 6-0 with a 0.22 ERA with 40 strikeouts for the Mississippi Stars fall team.

"Most of my interest came as a pitcher," Moreland said. "And then the Rangers ended up drafting me as a first baseman. So that was my opportunity. That was what I tried to run with. I didn't have a preference either way coming out. I just wanted to play. My whole life I had done both, so I was just kind of looking forward to the opportunity of finally getting to specialize in hitting or pitching. Fortunately for me it was hitting. I got the opportunity and tried to make the most of it."

He has made the most of his opportunity. A 17th round draft selection in 2007, Moreland won a Gold Glove at first base in 2016 and has bashed more than 20 homers three of the past four seasons.

Moreland featured a fastball, slider and changeup. He admitted he misses pitching sometimes.

"If I'm not hitting as well, I'm like, 'Yeah, put me on the bump. Let me help out somehow,'" he said.

Being a two-way player in college can get quite hectic.

"I threw bullpens, then I'd go hit BP and then I'd do my pitching running, do ground balls. It was just back and forth. But that's just what I wanted to do. I loved it."

As a left-handed pitcher growing up, Moreland rooted for a team with some elite left-handed pitchers.

"I followed the Braves," he said. "Being in the Southeast in the '90s for that run they had, (lefties Steve) Avery, (Tom) Glavine. ... I followed them religiously. That was like our family vacations: going to Fulton County and Turner Field."

Moreland should fit in well in blue-collar Boston. He has the reputation for being gritty and hard-working. Red Sox fans appreciate those qualities.

John Farrell said here Wednesday that Moreland also is an intelligent player.

Farrell had many conversations the past five years with third base coach Brian Butterfield about how to shift against Moreland. Butterfield is in charge of infield alignments/shifts.

Farrell said his infields initially overshifted when Moreland was at-bat.

"Over about a two-year period, he was one you had to abandon the shift (with) because he's a smart baseball player and he understood what opponents are trying to do to him," Farrell said. "So when he's at his best. And I think that's why he'll fit well in Fenway: the ability go into left-center field, which is part of his natural stroke."

Farrell added that Moreland plays a "powerful game."

"There's a really good edge about him -- a competitive edge," Farrell said. "The game is one of the top priorities in his life."

Mitch Moreland follows through on a RBI double off Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Matt Shoemaker in the first inning Monday, April 13, 2015, in Arlington, Texas. The hit scored Adrian Beltre. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade)

MORELAND THE ALL-AROUND ATHLETE

Moreland also played football and soccer in addition to baseball at Amory High.

He played two years of football (QB) and four years of soccer.

"In Mississippi, soccer isn't huge but it's getting bigger," Moreland said. "Football season ends in like November, December. That's when soccer kind of picks up. Soccer went from then to early February. Then baseball picks up early February."

He broke his ankle during his freshman football season. So he played goalie for the soccer team as a freshman, then played left midfielder as a sophomore, junior and senior.

"I almost didn't play soccer until I broke my ankle in football," he said. "And then I was like, 'This will be a good rehab ... running around, moving.' I ended up loving it. I kind of played growing up and then fizzled out doing it. And then I started out back doing it again. I loved it."