Free agent Jamie Moyer turns 50 - MLB News
Birthday boy Jamie Moyer is not your everyday 50-year-old. For him, age is just a number. The pitcher just turned 50 on Sunday and currently still plays the ball game. He is currently a free agent. Moyer has a rare distinction of playing in Major League
Baseball in four different decades. Only 29 players have so far achieved this feat.
Should he make it back to MLB next year, he will join a select group of pitchers who have made it beyond the age of 50 in the Major League. Only two players thus far have been able to pitch after 50 in the big leagues. Jim Quinn did so in 1933 and Satchel
Paige made in 1965. Paige was 59 years-old when he made his final appearance.
Moyer made his Major League debut in 1986. During the 26-year period, he has been regularly playing and has represented eight different ball clubs. His last Major League team was Colorado Rockies who released him after he posted a 2-5 losing record with
an ERA of 5.70 in 2012.
He did quite well in the Baltimore Orioles’ farm team, Triple-A Norfolk with a 1.69 ERA in three starts. The team released him and he joined the Toronto Blue Jays farm Team Triple-A Las Vegas where he posted a sky high ERA of 8.18 and was released after
two starts.
Jamie is currently the oldest active player in MLB. He became the oldest player in the big leagues to win a game on April 17, 2012 only to break it again in May. In the current Major League pitchers, he has the most wins, losses and strike-outs. He is also
the oldest player to hit an RBI in a Major League game.
Born in Sellersville, Pennsylvania, Moyer graduated from Souderton Area High School, where he played several sports. He pitched for Saint Joseph’s University and a single season record of 16 wins for them. The University retired the Number 10 jersey in 1997,
which Jamie wore. He is one of three inductees of the first class in University’s Hall of Fame. Moyer completed his degree from Indiana University in 1986.
Jamie was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1984 in the sixth round of Draft. In June of 1986, he made his Major League debut with the same club. He did well throughout his career, including winning a World Series Championship in 2008.
Jamie Moyer is indeed a great ambassador for the game. He has certainly shown everyone that with determination, great heights can be achieved and age can be overcome as a hurdle. Jamie may not get a chance to play next year, but his ‘never say die’ attitude
is certainly a great example for everyone to follow.
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