Jamie Moyer

Jamie Moyer (born November 18, 1962) is a former American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for 25 seasons. He suited up for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, and Colorado Rockies. By the time he threw his last pitch, Moyer was the oldest active player in the majors and led all active pitchers in wins, losses, and strikeouts. His lengthy career and advanced age at retirement drew comparisons to knuckleballer Phil Niekro. On April 17, 2012, he became the oldest pitcher ever to win an MLB game, and he broke his own record a month later on May 16, also setting the mark as the oldest player to drive in a run. Moyer holds the all-time record for most home runs allowed, with 522.

Moyer earned an All-Star selection in 2003 as a member of the Mariners. Off the field, he collected several awards for his philanthropy and community work, including the 2003 Roberto Clemente Award, the 2003 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, the 2003 Hutch Award, and the 2004 Branch Rickey Award. He is one of 31 players in baseball history to appear in games across four decades. At retirement, he had faced roughly 8.9% of every MLB hitter who ever played. The Mariners inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2015.

Growing up in Souderton, Pennsylvania, Moyer attended Souderton Area High School, where he played baseball, basketball, and golf. During his junior year of baseball, he posted a 10–0 record and threw three straight no-hitters. He went on to Saint Joseph’s University, where in 1984 he set school single-season records for wins (16), ERA (1.99), and strikeouts (90). In 1997, he was one of three inaugural inductees into the Saint Joseph’s Baseball Hall of Fame, and in 2018 his jersey number 10 became the only one retired in the program’s history.

The Chicago Cubs drafted Moyer in the sixth round of the 1984 amateur draft. He was named a New York–Penn League All-Star that same year. He made his MLB debut on June 16, 1986, facing Steve Carlton and the Philadelphia Phillies, and earned his first win. On August 16, he threw his first shutout against the Montreal Expos. He also started the game in which Greg Maddux made his big-league debut. In 1987, Moyer ranked tenth in the National League with 147 strikeouts, going 12–15. The following year, he went 9–15 but lowered his ERA to 3.48 and cut his walks from 97 to 55.

After the 1988 season, the Cubs traded Moyer, Rafael Palmeiro, and Drew Hall to the Texas Rangers for Mitch Williams, Paul Kilgus, Curtis Wilkerson, Steve Wilson, Luis Benitez, and Pablo Delgado. A sore left shoulder landed Moyer on the disabled list for much of 1989. In 1990, he worked out of the bullpen before returning to the rotation. He was released after the season and signed with the St. Louis Cardinals, making seven starts in 1991 before being sent to the minors on May 24 and released on October 14. In 1992, he attended spring training with the Cubs but was cut, spending the rest of the year in the Detroit Tigers’ minor-league system.

Moyer signed with the Baltimore Orioles on December 18, 1992. He began 1993 in the minors, was called up on May 30, and tied his career high with 12 wins while posting a career-low 3.43 ERA. The strike-shortened 1994 season saw his ERA rise to 4.77, but he ranked third on the Orioles in innings pitched. In 1995, he again started in the bullpen before working back into the rotation. The Boston Red Sox signed him on January 2, 1996, and he appeared in 23 games, making 10 starts.

On July 30, 1996, the Red Sox traded Moyer to the Seattle Mariners for outfielder Darren Bragg. He started 11 games for Seattle, going 6–2, and his combined 13–3 record led the majors with an .813 winning percentage. In 1997, he finished fifth in the American League with 17 wins, and his .773 winning percentage was second in the league. He made his first postseason start that year against his former team, Baltimore, but left in the fifth inning with a strained elbow and took the loss as the Orioles won the series in four games.

In 1998, Moyer went 15–9 with a 3.53 ERA and a career-high 158 strikeouts. He ranked fourth in the AL with 234.1 innings pitched, recorded his 100th win and 1,000th strikeout on August 27, and was named Seattle’s Pitcher of the Year by the local BBWAA chapter. He walked two or fewer batters in 29 of 32 starts, ranked third in the league with 1.6 walks per nine innings, and his ERA was seventh-best. His three shutouts tied for fourth in the majors, and he ranked fifth in the AL in wins above replacement for pitchers.