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Goodbye Moyer?


With today's announcement that Jamie Moyer has a sprained Ulnar Collateral ligament and a strained flexor pronator tendon in his left elbow and will be heading to the disabled list for an undisclosed amount of time, the Phillies, and baseball may have seen the last of the ancient (former) Mariner. While it is currently unknown if he would need surgery (possibly the dreaded Tommy John surgery), his injury is said to be more severe than that suffered by fellow Phillie J.A. Happ, leaving his return to the game (this season or in the future) in doubt. 

Star-divide

If Moyer does not return from this injury, it can not be said that he did not have a full career. He played for seven different teams (Chicago CubsTexas RangersSt. Louis Cardinals (who told him nineteen years ago that he should give up on pitching and become a pitching coach)Baltimore OriolesBoston Red SoxSeattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies) over the course of a twenty-four year career and made an All Star Game appearance in 2003 with the Mariners. He was tenacious, overcoming setbacks, including injuries and a number of stints in the minors early in his career to be a successful pitcher, with a career length that is truly rare. He is one of only three active pitchers (the other two being Andy Pettitte and Tim Wakefield) to have beaten all thirty MLB teams. He holds a number of records that are almost entirely due to his longevity in this league-- the largest age difference between a pitcher and a hitter (27 years when he pitched this year to 20 year old Starlin Castro), oldest pitcher to pitch a complete game shutout, and most home runs given up by a pitcher. He is the second oldest pitcher to pitch in a World Series game (only Jack Quinn of the 1929 Philadelphia Athletics was older). He is one of only four pitchers to have wins in four decades (1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s) . He is the oldest non-knuckleball pitcher to start a game.  

What is interesting is what he has succeeded without. His pitches do not overpower so much as they confuse. His "fastball" flies by in the mid-eighties-- and he manages to get hitters to miss. His game proves that the ability to throw hard and fast is less important than the ability to locate the ball.  The Jamie Moyer Guide to Great Pitching goes something like this (with thanks to Remember the Phitans who wrote this originally:  

 

  • Don’t walk hitters
  • Change speeds
  • Don’t walk hitters
  • Pitch to both sides of the plate
  • Don’t walk hitters
  • Keep the ball down
  • Don’t walk hitters
  •  

    But his contributions both in the game and beyond did not stop there. He won the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award for his determination and drive, and the Roberto Clemente Man of the Year Award, an award that recognizes the player for his sportsmanship and community service. During his time in Philadelphia, he has mentored Cole Hamels (who was only an infant when Moyer attended his first Spring Training 26 years ago), and his pointers helped Roy Halladay to his perfect game earlier this year. He also founded Camp Erin, for children and teens who are grieving the loss of a loved one, and plans to bring the camp to as many as 60 cities nationwide, including all 30 mlb home cities. 

    At the beginning of this season, Moyer said that "The game would tell me when I can't. ... And right now I don't feel like the game has told me that I can't". It could be that this injury is Father Time's way of telling Jamie Moyer that he can't. But, I would not count him out just yet-- if Moyer's career thus far has taught any lesson it is not to count him out.  

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    Rec’d. I don’t know if more could be said. Great stuff, dannijd.

    Formerly RyanGiggs11, currently a Contributor to SBN Philly.
    "College is only 4 years, but the Eagles are for life." - Ironhank

    by Scott K. on Jul 23, 2010 2:54 AM EDT reply actions  

    Agreed...

    ….Nothing more can be said. This post should be promoted. No need for anything else.

    by wrg885 on Jul 23, 2010 8:26 AM EDT reply actions  

    Awww

    You’re making me teary. First Gagne, now this.

    I hope this isn’t the end, but if it is, thanks for everything, Grandpappy.

    Lex clavatoris designati rescindenda est.

    by doubleh on Jul 23, 2010 10:31 AM EDT reply actions  

    The man has a future as a pitching coach, whether he does that when he’s 48 or 68 upon retirement. He’s a classy guy and for him I hope he can appreciate all the great experiences he’s had and hang up the glove with no remorse.

    by Cormican on Jul 23, 2010 1:39 PM EDT reply actions  

    probably not

    http://www.thegoodphight.com

    by WholeCamels on Jul 23, 2010 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions  

    big stretch stats wise. person wise, a shoe-in

    by j reed on Jul 23, 2010 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions  

    cooperstown doesn’t admit based on longevity or character without the crazy stats to back it up.

    Jamie Moyer:pitching::Julio Franco:positional player.

    He’ll get on the ballot, he’ll get a couple votes. He’s in the hall of noteworthy, but not of fame.

    One other thing you have to consider is that he WANTED to keep pitching to this ripe old age. It is quite possible that other good but not great pitchers just had their arm wear out on them or lost their desire to keep pitching, whereas Moyer was able to keep plugging away due to luck in injury avoidance/great pitching mechanics, desire to keep pitching, and finding somebody to pay him.

    I think #3 is very important, because everybody thought he was done 2 yrs ago when the Phils gave him what we all thought was a STOOPID contract. If the Phils don’t offer him that, I highly doubt he gets anything near that value from another club, and likely retires.

    by Bilzo on Jul 23, 2010 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions  

    As has been stated elsewhere, if he were able to stick around to pitch at age 50, and/or reach 300 wins, I think he’d get in, and would be deserving in a sense.

    by phatj on Jul 23, 2010 5:42 PM EDT up reply actions  

    It’d make him truly “Famous”

    http://www.thegoodphight.com

    by WholeCamels on Jul 23, 2010 6:29 PM EDT up reply actions  

    I don’t think pitching until age 50 would do it, but obviously 300 wins would.

    by Bilzo on Jul 23, 2010 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions  

    Hall of Pretty Good

    by Walcott on Jul 23, 2010 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions  

    I hope to hell that Moyer isn't done.

    He’s my favorite player—been so since before he was a Mariner, let alone an ancient one. I even have a signed rookie card of one “James Moyer.”

    If he really is done pitching, I would love to see Amaro offer him a job at name-your-own-salary as the Phils’ pitching coach. He would be awesome at that.

    by Phrozen on Jul 23, 2010 11:16 PM EDT reply actions  

    Very good article

    i love the guide to greatness, and that is what he did.

    sorry for being a critic though, but your one sentence in the second paragraph says

    “He is one of only three active pitchers (the other two being Andy Pettitte and Tim Wakefield).”

    i am sure that this has to do with amount of innings or starts, but right now it just claims there are only 3 active pitchers

    by Aaron King on Jul 26, 2010 8:44 AM EDT reply actions  

    Sorry about that. Sentence has been edited to add the words “to beat all thirty MLB teams”. Thank-you for catching it!

    by dannijd on Jul 26, 2010 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions  

    Have to root for him...

    …to at least come back one more time. It makes me happy that there is someone older than me (not by much, I’ll be 46 in September, and I haven’t played organized baseball since college) still playing major league baseball and playing it effectively. As long as Jamie Moyer is still pitching, I don’t have to feel like I’m too old to be great at…whatever…. :)

    by dweebowitz on Jul 26, 2010 6:18 PM EDT reply actions  

    The saddest thing about Jamie Moyer leaving the game is that he is the last of his kind. As cliche as it may sound, he played for the love of the game, not a paycheck. I sure hope he sticks around the organization for a while.

    by BSHGirlfriend on Jul 28, 2010 9:50 PM EDT reply actions  

    What makes you think he’s A) only playing for the love of the game or B) the last such player?

    by phatj on Jul 28, 2010 10:22 PM EDT up reply actions  

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