Jamie Moyer, 1995 Score #114

I thought for sure that the Orioles' decision to draft Ryan Ripken (Cal's son) in the twentieth round would be the most interesting news surrounding the team today. It was an intriguing but likely anti-climactic gesture, since the graduating senior from Gilman High School has an athletic scholarship to the University of South Carolina waiting for him. But the O's were just getting warm.

A few hours ago I was delighted, confused, and maybe a bit morbidly intrigued to learn that the Orioles had signed Jamie Moyer to a minor league contract. He'll report to the Norfolk Tides for at least three starts as a sort of trial to see whether he can be of use to the Baltimore organization. He's obviously a long-shot to join the Birds' rotation, but then I didn't think Chris Davis would have more wins than Chris Tillman at this point in the season, either. I certainly didn't foresee the O's having sole possession of first place in the American League East on June 6 thanks to a franchise-record seventh straight win in Fenway Park. Baseball has a way of making people much smarter than me look like complete chumps.

So, 49-year-old Jamie Moyer will join the AAA Norfolk roster, a motley casserole of use-in-case-of-emergency MLB veterans that already includes Bill Hall (age 32), Miguel Tejada (38), Lew Ford (35), Nate McLouth (30), Willie Eyre (33), Pat Neshek (31), and J. C. Romero (36). Oh, and the rehabbing Brian Roberts (34). I didn't even mention Dontrelle Willis (30) and Joel Pineiro (33), neither of whom is currently on the active roster. Either GM Dan Duquette is playing out some elaborate gag or con on the rest of Major League Baseball, or he really loves the movie Cocoon. Either way, I'm just awed by the possibility that the guy who resurrected his big league career at age 30 with the 1993 Orioles could be back on the mound in Camden Yards a couple decades later. That was the team that kickstarted my baseball fandom when I was ten years old. This is such an awesome, terrible idea.