When Jamie Moyer debuted, the Rockies didn't exist. Not the team. The mountains.

Given how much money there is in being even a below average pitcher, I'm a little surprised there aren't a couple more 45 year old knuckleballers still pitching. Odd, that we almost never hear of a guy in his late 30s whose career is winding down having spent the last offseason working on the knuckler.

Btw, I don't think the problem with Tim Wakefield is that he kinda sucks, it's that he kinda sucks for a very good, big market team. I have to think that if he could keep up his performance of the last couple of years, he could do so practically forever for teams like Pittsburgh or Houston as long as he was willing to pitch year to year for a million or two. Heck, the Mets could probably use him, especially if they go ahead and trade Jon Niese. Wakefield's pretty close to what they got last season from Capuano, who signed with LA for 2/10 based on his crappy yet durable year of 80 OPS+ for the Mets.

it must be actually tough to throw a good knuckler. either that or it's that most 38 year old pitchers are tired and or want to be with their kids or are tired of their bodies hurting all the time for 7-8 months straight

or too many pitchers think that throwing a knuckleball is not macho

Doesn't Moyer have like 7 kids or something? No wonder he wants to stay on the road.

Older here, by plenty.

Mrs. Ochmonek wasn't Mrs. Seinfeld yet.

Fun fact: She was about to be Mrs. James Dean before life got in the way.

i remember watching MTV like ALL the time but couldn't remember what videos were big that year.

When Jamie Moyer debuted, the original five VJs were all still regularly on MTV.

Mrs. Ochmonek wasn't Mrs. Seinfeld yet.

Fun fact: She was about to be Mrs. James Dean before life got in the way.

wow. i checked out her website. never knew that.

I think Liz Sheridan also dated Marlon Brando...

At the time the 300 win club was the largest of the three major milestone clubs with 18. If Moyer gets to 300 he would be the 25th. Among the seven that reached 300 wins since then, Don Sutton won his 300th game two days after Moyer's debut. Nolan Ryan had 244 wins, although he hadn't won in over a month. Roger Clemens would win his 28th game later that night. Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and Randy Johnson were all still in the minors.

At the time there were just 16 players with 3,000 hits. Now there are 28. Of the 12 that reached the plateau since then: George Brett had the most hits with 2,028 after a one-hit game. Dave Winfield went hitless, but he had 1,988 hits. Robin Yount had a 4-hit game that day to bring him to 1,925. Eddie Murray was also hitless and had 1,591 hits. Paul Molitor was about to get off the DL with 1,113 hits. Rickey Henderson went hitless and had 1,092 hits. Wade Boggs was also hurt but had 855 hits. Cal Ripken Jr. had one hit to give him 812. Tony Gwynn went hitless with 639 career hits. Rafael Palmeiro was in AA Pittsfield. Craig Biggio was playing ball at Seton Hall. Derek Jeter was looking forward to his 12th birthday in ten days.

At the time the 500 home run club was even smaller, with only 13 members. Now there are 25. Of the 12 that reached the milestone since then: Mike Schmidt was the closest with 468 home runs. Eddie Murray had 267 home runs. Barry Bonds hit his 4th home run that day. Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, and Sammy Sosa were all still in the minors. Gary Sheffield had just been picked by the Brewers and was deciding whether or not to sign (he would 10 days later). Frank Thomas was 18 and Ken Griffey Jr. was in the summer before his senior year in high school. Jim Thome was 15 years old. Manny Ramirez had just turned 14. Alex Rodriguez was still only 10.

When Jamie Moyer debuted, George Bush was Vice President. Then he became President. Then his son became President. Then a guy became President who is only one year older than...Jamie Moyer.

Well I certainly hope that this Moyer kid makes it in the Bigs. I know how tough it is for kids to get jobs today, 'cause my younger son, who was born ~6 weeks after Moyer's debut, is STILL LIVING WITH US.

It would be teh awesome if Moyer could pitch regularly in the Majors after his 50th birthday.

'cause my younger son, who was born ~6 weeks after Moyer's debut, is STILL LIVING WITH US.

Harder than getting them out of your house is getting them off your cell phone plan.

Harder than getting them out of your house is getting them off your cell phone plan.

This could be the most profound statement ever on BBTF.

And so very, very true.

Sure, I may have a PhD and still be on my parents' cell phone plan, but I make up for it by having only used 3 phones in nine years, none of which have a keyboard or can display a photo.

or can display a photo

How is that even possible? An old Motorola RAZR can display a photo, fer Chrissakes.

A writeup of Moyer's debut, courtesy of Bill Conlin

Moyer, a slender 170-pounder who looks like he will be a Randy Jones-, Tommy John-style lefthander, took a 7-2 lead into the seventh. Manager Gene Michael came out for the youngster after Schu, Juan Samuel and Mike Schmidt singled with one out. With two runs home and two outs, the Phils cut it to the final 7-5 against reliever Jay Baller on a throwing error by third baseman Davey Lopes on a routine bouncer by Glenn Wilson.

"It was just a tremendous thrill for me to make my first major league start against a pitcher of Steve Carlton's stature," Moyer said. "All through my high school and college career he was the premier lefthander in the game. Not even in my wildest dreams did I ever think I'd pitch against Steve Carlton in the major leagues."

The reigning World Champion when he debuted was the Kansas City Royals.

The reigning World Champion when he debuted was the Kansas City Royals.

We have a winner.

Oh, jeez, my older one is still on our cell phone plan, and our e-z pass as well, and I'm fine with that. They don't text, and I hardly ever call anyone other than them (and Mrs Useless), so the cost is minimal.

But I hate having to get dressed in order to visit the bathroom at 3 am.

But I hate having to get dressed in order to visit the bathroom at 3 am.

Having a bathroom in the master bedroom is far more important than you realize when you're 28 and buying a house. :)

Ièm not sure which is more annoying: people who brag about not watching TV, or people who brag about not using cellphones. It's a toss-up...

People who brag about not being on Facebook are up there, too.

I don't watch tv because I'm too cheap to pay for cable but I watch tv on hulu all the time. Does that count?

Pretty soon you'll be in the majority

(Probably 1/2 the people I know do that...or something similar.)

it must be actually tough to throw a good knuckler. either that or it's that most 38 year old pitchers are tired and or want to be with their kids or are tired of their bodies hurting all the time for 7-8 months straight

or too many pitchers think that throwing a knuckleball is not macho

It must be very very tough, otherwise there'd have to be at least a few guys who pulled it off. Even the one non-Tim Wakefield knuckleballer currently in the majors was throwing one years ago without quite knowing it. From wikipedia,

Throughout his career, Dickey did not know that his "forkball" pitch was actually a hard knuckleball, but by 2005, Dickey had discovered that the best way to extend his career was to perfect the pitch.[3]

What's impressive about Dickey is that he was able to add a soft knuckler, which makes the hard knuckler that much more devastating.

I'm not sure the sissy factor enters into it. It's probably like cross-dressing in the privacy of your own home. A guy could go out behind the barn and start throwing the knuckler into one of those bounceback pitching things. Nobody would ever have to know.

Doesn't Moyer have like 7 kids or something? No wonder he wants to stay on the road.

I gotta say, too, there have to be at least a few families who encourage grumpy dad to not retire and be home all the time.

When I was a teenager, I played catcher on a baseball team with a guy who would occasionally throw a pretty good knuckleball, along with the standard fastball / curve. I think most big-time coaches and players have come to see it as a specialty pitch, but it wasn't always that way.

I don't watch tv because I'm too cheap to pay for cable but I watch tv on hulu all the time. Does that count?

Yep that is me also. Won't get cable because the cable company soaks you above and beyond the agreed upon amount. You agree for $30 a month, and they somehow end up charging another $15 in made up taxes and interest and bs. And until I see actual proof of satellite working in the rain(you know the time when you most likely want to watch tv) I'm not even considering that as an option(I know after I say that, 100 people will post "I have satellite, and it never goes out" and you are the 100 luckiest people in the world, I've been to bars and seen a gush of wind take out the satellite for 30 seconds, or even worse turn it into a 16bit nintendo pixelation of whatever it is you are watching, I've sold satellite for years, and it's always embarrassing trying to sell someone as they are watching it and it freezes up etc.--and f course, who the heck wants a box for every tv, that is just a silly unneeded expense that they are trying to soak you on. With cable, every tv in the house gets the major channels, and the primary tv gets any special channels.)