Pro Baseball: Jamie Moyer at 45? Priceless: Put him on an MLB mound and he wins
When the Seattle Mariners decided to trade Jamie Moyer to the Philadelphia Phillies in August 2006 for a couple of unnamed players, they basically felt his performance didn’t justify his salary. At the time, Moyer was as much the heart of the Mariners as any other player worth talking about.
On the day he was traded, his season record with Seattle was 6-12 and he was the oldest active player in the American League. Few fans know that Moyer is one of the all-time leaders in 1-0 complete game losses, having lost 8 games and giving up just 1 run over 9 innings. Moyer was also the 25th left-hander (left-handed pitcher) to win 200 games in the majors.
Moyer finished his 11-season tenure in Seattle with a 145-87 record and a 3.97 ERA (ERA). He was the franchise leader in wins, starts and innings pitched (surpassing Randy Johnson).
He didn’t want to leave Seattle, but they didn’t want him, so he packed his bags and waved to the raucous Philly fans. He finished the 2006 season as a Philly, winning 5 of 7 decisions with a 4.03 ERA.
In 2007, Moyer compiled a 14-12 won-lost record and pitched the final game of the season to determine if Philadelphia would break an 88-win tie and become the NL East champion. Moyer pitched 5+ innings, allowing just 3 hits and no runs as Philly won to clinch the championship.
During this year’s 2008 season, Moyer went 16-7 with a 3.71 ERA. He became the oldest active player in Major League Baseball at age 45, and won his 235th career game, along with at least one victory over every Major League team.
More importantly, Moyer took the mound again in September against the Washington Nationals in a game in which the Phillies could clinch the NL East title with a win. He delivered throwing 6 innings, allowing just 1 run as Philadelphia won 4-3.
How important has Moyer been to the Phillies this year? Well, Philly’s division title was their second in a row, giving the Phillies their first consecutive postseason appearances since 1980 and 1981.
And the Seattle Mariners? The Mariners have won 61 games this year and lost 101, finishing 39 games behind the AL West-winning Los Angeles Angles in Anaheim. The Mariners became the first team in MLB history to have a payroll of more than $100 million and 100 losses in the same season. Talk about pathetic. They fired their general manager and they’re in disarray.
Seattle’s leading pitcher this season was Felix Hernandez, who pitched exactly 200 innings and went 9-11 on the season. Two other Mariners shared the next most wins on staff with 6 each. Remember that Moyer won 16 games this season.
Since the Seattle Mariners gave up on Moyer, his record as a Philly is 35-21. Moyer is the exact definition of a fine pitcher, his fastball tops out at 83 mph, but he also adds a circle changeup, a slice fastball and a curveball.
He doesn’t have the heat (fast pitch) of a Randy Johnson in his prime, and he’s not as talented as a lot of other pitchers. He just performs beyond his potential year after year, game after game.
Is it any wonder Philadelphia’s working class hard hats love Jamie Moyer?
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley