Amateur career

High school

Moyer attended Souderton Area High School in Souderton, Pennsylvania, where he played baseball, basketball, and golf.

College

Moyer pitched at Saint Joseph's University, where in 1984 he set the school's single-season records in wins, with 16, earned run average (ERA), with 1.99, and strikeouts, with 90. In 1997 he became the only Saint Joseph's baseball player to have his jersey number, number 10, retired, and was one of three inductees into the first class of the St. Joseph's Baseball Hall of Fame.

Professional career

Chicago Cubs (1986-1988)

The Chicago Cubs selected Moyer in the sixth round of the 1984 amateur draft. Moyer was selected a New York-Penn League All-Star in 1984. He made his major league debut with the Cubs on June 16, 1986, against Steve Carlton and the Philadelphia Phillies, and earned his first win. Later that year, on August 16, he threw his first shutout against the Montreal Expos. He was also the starting pitcher for the Cubs on the day that Greg Maddux made his major league debut.

In 1987, Moyer ranked tenth in the National League in strikeouts with 147, while winning 12 games.

Texas Rangers (1989-1990)

Following his then-best season in 1988, he was traded to the Texas Rangers as part of the 9-player Rafael Palmeiro for Mitch Williams trade.

Moyer was on the disabled list with a sore left shoulder for much of a disappointing 1989 season. 1990 saw Moyer spend time in the bullpen before regaining a spot in the starting rotation.

St. Louis Cardinals (1991)

Moyer was released as a free agent after the 1990 season and was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals. He made seven starts for the Cardinals in 1991 before being sent to the minor leagues on May 24, and was released on October 14.

Chicago Cubs/Detroit Tigers

In 1992, Moyer went to spring training with the Chicago Cubs, but was released and spent the rest of the season in the minor league system of the Detroit Tigers.

Baltimore Orioles (1993-1995)

On December 18, 1992, Moyer signed with the Baltimore Orioles.

Moyer began the 1993 season in the Oriole minor leagues, before being called up on May 30. He tied his career-high total in wins with 12 and a new career-low ERA of 3.43. The strike-shortened 1994 season was disappointing for him, but he was third on the staff in innings pitched. In 1995, Moyer again found himself in the Baltimore bullpen, but worked his way back into the starting rotation.

Boston Red Sox (1996)

Moyer was signed by the Boston Red Sox on January 2, 1996. Moyer appeared in 23 games for Boston, making 10 starts.

Seattle Mariners (1996-2006)

1996-1999

In the middle of the 1996 season, he was traded to the Seattle Mariners on July 30, for outfielder Darren Bragg. In Seattle he started 11 games and went 6-2. His record of 13-3 led the majors in winning percentage at .813.

In 1997, Moyer was fifth in the American League with 17 wins. His 17-5 record gave him the second-highest winning percentage (.773) in the league. Moyer made his first postseason start against his former club Baltimore, but was forced out with a strained elbow in the fifth inning.

In 1998, Moyer went 15-9 with a 3.53 ERA. He was third in innings pitched with 234.1. He registered his 100th career win against the Cleveland Indians on August 27, as well as his 1000th career strikeout with a sixth inning strikeout of David Bell. He was named Seattle's Pitcher of the Year by the Seattle chapter of the BBWAA.

He walked two or fewer batters in 29 of his 32 starts. He ranked fourth in the American League averaging just 1.9 walks per nine innings. Moyer was also third among the league in innings pitched and seventh winning percentage. He matched his career-best seven-game winning streak from May 11 to July 7. He started the Inaugural Game at Safeco Field on July 15 against the San Diego Padres, throwing a called strike to San Diego's Quilvio Veras for the first pitch and getting a no-decision in Seattle's 3-2 loss after leaving with a 2-1 lead after eight innings. He defeated Baltimore for the ninth straight time on July 31; he did not lose to the Orioles in the 1990s. Moyer's only loss at Safeco came on August 5 against the New York Yankees. He recorded three complete games in the final month of the season, tossing back-to-back complete games on September 14 and 19. His 2.30 ERA after the All-Star break was the second-lowest among AL starters, behind only Pedro Martínez with his 2.01 ERA. He pitched 4 complete games for the second straight season, tying his career best.

In 1999, Moyer went 14-8 with a 3.87 ERA and was voted to The Sporting News AL All-Star team. He again won the Seattle Pitcher of the Year award.

2000-2001

2000 saw Moyer rebound from an early shoulder injury to tally 13 wins, giving him at least 13 in each of his past five seasons. He made his first Opening Day start for Seattle, but lost to the Boston Red Sox 2-0 on April 4. His shoulder problems led his ERA to balloon to 5.49. A knee injury suffered on the last pitch of a simulated game caused him to miss Seattle's trip to the American League Championship Series against the eventual World Series champion New York Yankees.

Moyer lost five consecutive starts from August 4-24. He allowed a career-high and a club-record 11 earned runs in a 19-3 loss on August 9 against the Chicago White Sox. He allowed 11 runs, 6 earned, in a 14-4 loss on August 14 against the Detroit Tigers, joining the Houston Astros' José Lima as the first two pitchers since 1950 to allow ten or more runs in consecutive starts. Moyer allowed a career-high seven walks in a no-decision on August 29 against the Yankees. The Mariners' 7-2 win on September 9 against the Minnesota Twins snapped a six-game losing streak. Moyer lasted just one and two-thirds innings in his final start, getting a no-decision September 28 against the Texas Rangers. Moyer suffered a hairline fracture of left kneecap while pitching a simulated game on October 7.

In 2001 Moyer won 20 games, ranked tied for second in the American League, and his 3.43 ERA was sixth in the AL. He earned his 150th career win against the Texas Rangers on September 24. He became only the second Mariner in history to win 20 games on October 5, former teammate Randy Johnson being the other. Moyer went 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA in the postseason. He won Games 2 and 5 for the Mariners against the Cleveland Indians and also carried Game 3 against the New York Yankees before Seattle lost in Game 5.

2002-2003

In 2002, Moyer went 13-8 with a then career low 3.32 ERA. Although he pitched 20 more innings and had a lower ERA than in 2001, he won seven fewer games.

Moyer was fourth in the AL in innings with 230.2. He was tied for second in the league with 34 starts, fifth in opponents' batting average, holding opposing hitters to a .230 clip, and ninth in ERA with 3.32. He tossed a team-high 24 consecutive scoreless innings from June 16 to July 6. He averaged just two walks per nine innings pitched, tied for sixth-best in the AL. The Mariners were 20-14 in his starts. His four complete games tied his career high, also done in 1998 and 1999. He threw his seventh career complete game shutout, first of the season, on June 10 against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 10-0 win. Moyer's start on June 16 against San Diego began a streak of 24 consecutive shutout innings over four starts. He finished June 3-1 with a Major League best 1.01 ERA in five starts. He collected his 1,500th career strikeout August 24 against the Cleveland Indians.

In 2003, Moyer won a career high 21 games, lost 7, and had a career low 3.27 ERA. He tied for second in the American League for wins and was sixth in ERA. His .750 winning percentage placed him fourth in the league and his 21 wins are a club record. He became the only Seattle pitcher to win 20 games more than once. Moyer was voted to his first All-Star Game in 2003. He was named for the third time the Seattle Pitcher of the Year. Moyer was also the winner of the Roberto Clemente Award, given annually to the big leaguer whose success on the field is mirrored by his impact in community service, The Hutch Award, presented annually by the world-renowned Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to an MLB player displaying "honor, courage and dedication to baseball, both on and off the field", and The Lou Gehrig Award, presented annually to the MLB player who both on and off the field best exemplifies the character of Lou Gehrig.

2004-2006

In 2004, Moyer went 7-13 and posted his first losing record since 1994. His ERA was 5.21 and he surrendered an MLB-leading 44 home runs. While the year started well for him, going 5-0 with a 1.59 ERA from May 20 - June 18, Moyer ended 2004 on a 10-game losing streak. He threw the slowest fastball of all AL starters, averaging 81.6 mph. One positive for Moyer was he was awarded the Branch Rickey Award for his exceptional community service following the season.

During the 2005 season Moyer passed Randy Johnson to become the winningest pitcher for the Mariners on May 30. On July 8, 2005, Moyer became the 25th southpaw to win 200 games in Major League Baseball. He finished with a 13-7 record and for the second year in a row he threw the slowest fastball of all major league starters, averaging 81.7 mph.

On June 18, 2006, he became the 33rd man to start 500 major league games. In his 11 seasons with the Mariners, Moyer had a record of 145-87 with a 3.97 ERA in 324 games (323 starts). He is the franchise leader in wins, starts and innings pitched.

Moyer is also one of the all-time leaders in 1-0 complete game losses. Moyer has lost eight games having surrendered only one run over nine innings. Before being traded in August 2006, he was the oldest active American League player.

Philadelphia Phillies (2006-2010)

2006-2007

On August 19, 2006, Moyer was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for minor league pitchers Andrew Barb and Andrew Baldwin. In his first start with the Phillies, Moyer set a franchise record as the oldest pitcher to record a win. In eight starts with the Phillies in 2006, Moyer went 5-2 with a 4.03 ERA. After the season, Moyer signed a two-year extension worth $10.5 million with the Phillies on October 23.

On April 13, 2007, at age 44 Moyer combined with Tom Glavine to become the oldest matchup of lefty starters (85 years, 163 days) in major league history. He struck out six batters in the game which included his 2000th batter. Later that month, on April 29 Moyer pitched a two-hitter through 71⁄₃ innings as he recorded a win against the Florida Marlins. On July 21, at age 44, Moyer broke that same record when he combined with David Wells to become the oldest match up of lefty starters (88 years, 307 days) in major league history. Moyer won the game and Wells lost; the oldest over the youngest by 183 days.

In the finale to the 2007 season, Tom Glavine and Moyer faced off respectively in separate games to determine the National League Eastern Division Champions, as the division lead was tied at 88 wins. Moyer defeated the Washington Nationals, pitching 51⁄₃ innings and surrendering no runs, and three hits, while Glavine was crushed by the Marlins at Shea Stadium, surrendering seven runs in the first inning, hitting a batter with the bases loaded and recording only a single out before being pulled.

He threw the slowest fastball of all NL starters in 2007, averaging 81.1 miles per hour (130.5 km/h).

2008

In 2008, at age 45, Moyer became the oldest active player in Major League baseball. On April 30, Moyer hit a single off Padres pitcher Chris Young into left center field to become the oldest Phillie ever to get a hit.

On May 26, Moyer won his 235th career game, giving him at least one victory over each Major League team. The victory came in a 20-5 win over the Colorado Rockies. Moyer pitched seven innings, struck out seven batters, and gave up four runs. He followed that in his next start against the Florida Marlins by earning his sixth victory of the season, pitching seven innings and giving up five runs.

On September 11, Moyer won his 14th game of the season against the Milwaukee Brewers, which began the Phillies a seven-game win streak. On September 27, Moyer took the mound for the Phillies against the Nationals, in a game where the Phillies could clinch the National League East title with a win. Moyer pitched six innings and gave up only one run and the Phillies won the game 4-3. Moyer earned his 16th win of the year, the second-oldest pitcher to accomplish this feat, finishing with a 3.71 ERA. He also threw the slowest fastball of all NL starters in 2008, averaging 81.2 miles per hour. He threw cutters 29.5% of the time, the highest rate in the NL.

On October 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2008 National League Division Series, Moyer became the second-oldest pitcher to ever start a post-season game at the age of 45 years 321 days, and the oldest since 1929 when Jack Quinn started for the Philadelphia Athletics at 46 years 103 days.

On October 12, Moyer became the oldest pitcher at 45 years 329 days to pitch in a National League Championship Series game, starting in Game 3 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, he struggled during the game and surrendered six runs in 11⁄₃ innings—his shortest start in over eight years—and went on to lose the game.

On October 25, Moyer made his first World Series start against the Tampa Bay Rays, pitching 61⁄₃ innings, giving up three runs, and receiving a no-decision. More impressive was that he pitched with a severe stomach virus. He won his first World Series ring when the Phillies defeated the Rays on October 29 in his 23rd Major League Season. Following the game, the pitchers mound at Citizens Bank Park was dug up and given to Moyer by his teammates. In his speech at the World Series celebration at Citizens Bank Park on October 31, he related to the fans that he grew up as a Phillies fan and played hooky from Souderton Area High School to attend the Phillies' championship parade in 1980. On December 15, 2008 Moyer signed a two-year, $16 million contract with the Phillies, keeping him with the club through the conclusion of the 2010 season.

2009

Moyer started the season with a 3-5 record and a 7.42 ERA, but earned his 250th career win on May 31 against the Washington Nationals in a 4-2 win, becoming the 44th pitcher and the 11th lefty to do this. By the All-Star break, Moyer had improved his record to 8-6 and had lowered his ERA to 5.99. On July 16, Moyer won his 255th career game, pitching a one-hitter through seven scoreless innings and passing Jack Morris for 41st on the all-time wins list. Despite leading the rotation with ten wins, Moyer carried a still inflated 5.47 ERA. This prompted the Phillies to move him to the bullpen to make room in their rotation for Pedro Martínez. Regarding the move, manager Charlie Manuel said,

Jamie was a total professional and team player when we let him know of the decision to move him to the bullpen. He has been, and will continue to be, a very important part of this team.

In Moyer's bullpen debut on August 18, he relieved Martínez in the fourth inning after a rain delay, pitching six scoreless innings to earn his 11th win of the season. A similar situation occurred on August 28, as Moyer again relieved Martinez in the third inning after a rain delay. He pitched four and one third innings in relief, giving up one earned run and picked up his 12th win of the season.

Moyer tore three muscles in his groin and lower abdomen while pitching against the Houston Astros on September 29. He missed the rest of the regular season, and was not on the Phillies' postseason roster.

2010

When asked about retiring after the expiration of his Phillies contract at the end of 2010, Moyer said, "You know, I'm going to leave that as an open-ended question because I don't know how to answer that. It could be (my last season). It potentially could be. But so could have last year. So could have two years ago, so could have five years ago."

After the retirement of Ken Griffey, Jr. in early 2010, Moyer and Omar Vizquel were the last two active players in MLB who played in the 1980s. On April 10, at age 47, Moyer became the sixth-oldest pitcher to appear in a game and the eighth major league pitcher to start a game in four different decades. Moyer pitched six innings and earned his 259th career victory. On May 7, Moyer became the oldest player in Major League Baseball history (47 years, 170 days) to pitch a shutout, blanking the Braves on two hits, striking out five batters and walking none. Moyer also became the only MLB pitcher to throw a shutout in four different decades (1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s).

On June 5, Moyer became the third MLB pitcher to win 100 games after turning 40 years old, defeating the San Diego Padres, 6-2, using just 98 pitches to accomplish the feat. It was also his second complete game of the season. On June 16, Moyer became the oldest pitcher to ever defeat the New York Yankees. Moyer beat the Yankees at 47 years, 210 days. The previous oldest pitcher to beat them was Phil Niekro at 47 years, 122 days, according to the Griffin Sports Bureau. On June 27, he became the all-time major league leader in home runs allowed (506), passing Robin Roberts. On July 20, Moyer left a start against the St. Louis Cardinals due to an elbow strain after pitching only one inning. The injury proved to be a sprain in his ulnar collateral ligament and a strain of his flexor pronator, which resulted in Moyer missing the remainder of the 2010 season.

After the 2010 season, Moyer's contract expired and he was removed from the Phillies' 40-man roster. He then went to the Dominican Winter Leagues to pitch where he suffered another elbow injury on November 6, 2010, which ended his chance of playing in 2011. He had Tommy John surgery on December 1, 2010, in New York, to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow, in hopes to make a comeback in 2012. During his recovery from Tommy John surgery, Moyer worked for ESPN.

Colorado Rockies (2012)

On January 18, 2012, Moyer signed a minor-league contract (with an invitation to spring training) with the Colorado Rockies, a team that did not exist when he made his MLB debut in 1986. The March 30 NBC Nightly News reported that Moyer made the opening day roster for the Rockies, and would be the number-two starter in the rotation. The report was confirmed the following day by the Associated Press. He made his Rockies debut on April 7 against the Houston Astros. He pitched 5 innings, giving up three runs, and received the loss.

On April 17, Jamie Moyer became the oldest pitcher in MLB history to earn a win. The previous record was held by Jack Quinn, who earned his last win in 1932, two months after his 49th birthday. Moyer became the oldest player in MLB history to record an RBI on May 16 when he singled in two runs in the 4th inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He also extended his record for the oldest pitcher to record a win. Five days later, Moyer started for the Rockies against the Marlins at Marlins Park. This appearance represented the 50th MLB stadium Moyer has pitched in, the most of any pitcher to debut since 1900. Target Field in Minnesota is the only active stadium in which Moyer has not pitched.

On June 1, the Rockies released Moyer, making him a free agent and eligible to sign with any team.

Second stint with the Baltimore Orioles organization (2012)

Moyer signed a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles on June 6, five days after being released by the Rockies. The deal came with the stipulation that he would make three starts with the Triple-A Norfolk Tides, and after that the Orioles had to promote him or grant his release. Following his third start on June 23, the Orioles offered Moyer another start with the Tides. He instead opted to become a free agent. With the Tides, Moyer went 1-1 with a 1.69 ERA with 16 strike outs in 16 innings over three games. He also demonstrated exceptional control as he did not walk a batter and allowed only eleven hits. The Orioles liked what they saw, but the timing just wasn't right to add him to the rotation. "We're very appreciative of him giving us that opportunity to look", Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said. "I wouldn't be surprised to see him pitch for somebody shortly. Personally, just out of respect for his career what he's done, I hope it happens."

Toronto Blue Jays organization (2012)

Moyer signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays after being released by the Orioles. Moyer made his first start for the Blue Jays Triple-A team, the Las Vegas 51s, on June 28. Moyer got the win, pitching 5 innings and giving up 3 runs on 7 hits, with 6 strikeouts and 1 walk. Moyer's second start was a loss to the Reno Aces, in which he yielded 7 runs on 10 hits through 6 innings. In his planned 2 starts with Las Vegas, Moyer posted a 1-1 record with an 8.18 ERA through 11 innings. Moyer did not travel back to Las Vegas at the end of the second game. On July 5, he was released by Toronto.

2013 and retirement

On September 7, it was reported that Moyer was attempting a comeback as a knuckleball pitcher, having consulted with Charlie Hough and Tim Wakefield over the summer.

Moyer announced the end of his baseball-playing career during an interview with Dave Davies on National Public Radio's Fresh Air broadcast that aired October 2, 2013. During the interview on Fresh Air he also announced his intention to start a pitching academy, The Moyer Pitching Academy, as well as continue his charitable work with The Moyer Foundation, but that he would be open to an offer to coach in the major leagues.

Moyer has written his memoir, with Larry Platt, entitled Just Tell Me I Can't: How Jamie Moyer Defied the Radar Gun and Defeated Time. Moyer dedicated the book, and also sees the academy as a tribute, to the memory of the late counselor and author Harvey Dorfman, who helped shape Moyer's "mental game."

Broadcasting career

On February 11, 2014, Moyer and fellow former Phillie Matt Stairs were announced to join the Phillies' television broadcast crew as color analysts for the 2014 season. Moyer and Stairs joined in-game reporter Gregg Murphy and play-by-play voice Tom McCarthy. Following the season, Moyer announced he would not return to the booth in 2015, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.

Pitching style

Moyer's pitching approach evolved as he aged. Most pitchers lose velocity later in their career, and Moyer was no exception - his average fastball speed in 2012 was about 80 MPH, a very slow speed for a non-knuckleball pitcher. Instead of velocity, Moyer relied on control and mixing his pitches. He threw five main pitches: a sinker, a cut fastball, a slider, a changeup, and a curveball.

Personal life

Moyer, after spending many of his playing years living in Seattle, moved to Florida with his wife Karen (the daughter of former Notre Dame basketball coach and current ESPN sportscaster Digger Phelps) and their eight children. The Moyers' two youngest daughters were adopted from Guatemala. In 1996, Moyer earned a Bachelor of General Studies degree from Indiana University.

Jamie and Karen Moyer, who were introduced by Harry Caray when Jamie was with the Cubs and Karen was an intern with Cubs broadcast outlet WGN, are devout Roman Catholics. They are philanthropists in the Northwest with their work done through the Moyer Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children in severe distress.

Moyer's oldest son Dillon was drafted in the 22nd round of the 2010 MLB draft by the Minnesota Twins but did not sign and instead attended UC Irvine for two years. He transferred to UC San Diego for his Junior, and final, year, as he graduated in three years with a major in Sociology and minor in Education. He was later drafted in the 38th round of the 2013 MLB draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers and did sign with them. Another son, Hutton, was drafted in the seventh round of the 2015 MLB draft.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]