Congratulations to Jamie Moyer, Jayson Werth, and the rest of the 2008 World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies. I'm glad that someone as classy as Jamie got a chance to win his first championship after a twenty-two year career that had been completely devoid of trips to the Fall Classic. After hearing how violently ill he was in the days and hours leading up to his rain-delayed starting assignment on Saturday night, it's all the more remarkable that he pitched as well as he did (6.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K). If it weren't for a blown call at first base, his numbers would look even better, and he might have gotten the win that he truly deserved. Fox's Chris Myers spoke with Moyer amid the onfield postgame melee, and the 45-year-old lefty was as cool and collected as ever, showing off little more than a wry grin. He spoke of being on hand for the victory parade the last time the team won it all, in 1980 - he was 17 then.Because I never tire of "How-old-is-he?" stats (though I think poor Jamie is growing weary of them), here's one I compiled myself. Eyeballing his pitcher-batter matchups, it appears that Moyer has pitched to four father-son combos: Buddy and David Bell, Bob and Bret (and Aaron) Boone, Jose Cruz Sr. and Jr., and Cecil and Prince Fielder. His career has also run parallel to eleven other father-son pairings, though he didn't actually face one or the other of each duo: Alan and Andy Ashby, Jesse and Josh Barfield, the Ken Griffeys, the Jerry Hairstons, the Gary Mathewses, Hal and Brian McRae, the Tony Penas, Tony (!) and Eduardo Perez, the Tim Raineses, Gary and Daryle Ward, and Mookie and Preston Wilson (Mookie is actually Preston's uncle and stepfather, believe it or not!). That's quite a legacy. Oh, he also pitched against Chris Speier; I didn't include the Speiers because son Justin is a reliever with just 17 career at-bats.
I wonder if Jamie can hang on until Trey Griffey is ready for the big leagues.
I didn't realize how old I was until I realized that I saw all these players' dads play when I was a kid. I also remember watching Jamie Moyer and Greg Maddux on the Cubs.
ReplyDeleteThen it hit me all at once.
Sorry to do that to you! I became a fan in 1993, so I'm noticing that more and more of the guys who were active when I started collecting cards and watching games are gone. As the Mike Piazzas and Julio Francos slip away I cling more and more to Jamie Moyer, Tim Wakefield, Frank Thomas, etc.
ReplyDeleteWhen Jamie retires, it will be downright depressing. But we were glad to see him pitch in the World Series.
ReplyDeleteJamie's a rockstar! I just read this for anyone that wants to support him: In celebration of Jamie Moyer’s winning season with the Philadelphia Phillies World Series champions, his Foundation is encouraging individuals to show their support and say “THANKS A MILLION,JAMIE” as a how of support for Jamie’s good work on and off the field. Now through the end of November – individuals can send a note of thanks, and make a contribution to support The Moyer Foundation in honor of this achievement. See the Moyer Foundation’s home page for details: www.moyerfounation.org
ReplyDeleteHe didn't pitch to either Ken Griffey, but one time he punched out Craig Griffey in a bar fight.
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