35 Reasons to Believe

The Phanatic Magazine continues its preseason coverage of the Phillies, profiling one player per day to get you set for the 2007 campaign. Our 35 straight days of Phillies coverage kicked off on February 25th, and will continue to roll until Opening Day on April 2nd. Then we will hand it over to Michael Rushton, who will provide an in-depth season preview before the first pitch is dealt.

DAY 23: Jamie Moyer

By John McMullen
The Phanatic Magazine

Let's get all the age jokes out of the way...

Jamie Moyer sat next to Moses in history class...

His social security number is in Roman numerals...

And when Methuselah needs advice, he comes to Jamie.

Of course, so do the Phillies. Recently, general manager Pat Gillick and pitching coach Rich Dubee actually asked the 44-year-old soft-tossing lefty to talk with a group of minor-league pitchers.

The thinking was a young pitcher might be able to a learn a thing or two from a guy who has built a 23-year pro career with less than stellar stuff. Heck, even most veterans could learn a thing or two from Moyer.

The majority of MLB pitchers with "good stuff" aren't exactly known for their ability to pitch. You've all heard the phrase a hundred times -- 'million dollar arm, 10-cent head.' Too many talented hurlers rely on their arms to get them 10-12 wins and ignore the mental aspect of the game.

And the Phillies don't have to look all that far to find one of those pitchers. You put Brett Myers' arm on Jamie Moyer and you probably have a consistent 17-20 game winner.

But, that's not possible so Philadelphia will look to get 10-12 wins from Moyer's "junk" and hope Myers and Cole Hamels develop more consistency, while watching a true professional pitch.

Moyer arrived in the majors during the 1986 season, a time when many of his contemporaries were in grade school. Over the years, the crafty lefty has won 216 games, seventh-most among active pitchers, and developed a rep as an overachiever.

After being acquired from Seattle last season, Moyer did his best to try and will the Phillies into the playoffs, recording a 5-2 record with a 4.03 earned run average in just eight starts.

He was rewarded in October with a a two-year contract extension that will take him through the 2008 season.

"He amazes me, but he has more patience than the hitters," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel told the Wilmington News Journal. "He understands how to pitch. In and out, up and down. He changes speed and he knows what he's been doing. He's been doing it for years and years. I've been watching him for a long time. As long as he does that, he can keep his job."

And that job just happens to be part of a rotation that's considered to be the best in the National League East.

Tomorrow: Adam Eaton