Jamie Moyer: Both ends of the spectrum
Posted by Andy on June 12, 2010
Earlier this season, Jamie Moyer became the oldest player to pitch a complete-game shutout.
Last night, he set a record equally unlikely to be broken anytime soon. Unfortunately, it was for oldest pitcher to give up 9 earned runs a game:
| Rk | Player | Age ▾ | Date | Tm | Opp | Rslt | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | GSc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jamie Moyer | 47.205 | 2010-06-11 | PHI | BOS | L 2-12 | 1.0 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -1 |
| 2 | Jamie Moyer | 44.240 | 2007-07-16 | PHI | LAD | L 3-10 | 5.1 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 10 |
| 3 | Fred Johnson | 44.153 | 1938-08-10 | SLB | CLE | L 6-9 | 9.0 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 20 |
| 4 | Tim Wakefield | 43.299 | 2010-05-28 | BOS | KCR | L 5-12 | 3.2 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 1 | -1 |
| 5 | Steve Carlton | 42.225 | 1987-08-04 | MIN | CAL | L 3-12 | 4.2 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 6 | Greg Maddux | 42.004 | 2008-04-18 | SDP | ARI | L 0-9 | 7.0 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 16 |
| 7 | Sad Sam Jones | 41.329 | 1934-06-20 | CHW | BOS | L 9-14 | 6.2 | 17 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 0 | -11 |
| 8 | Jeff Fassero | 41.216 | 2004-08-08 | COL | CIN | L 7-14 | 3.0 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 1 | -9 |
| 9 | Dazzy Vance | 41.190 | 1932-09-10 | BRO | CHC | L 2-9 | 8.0 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 21 |
| 10 | Dazzy Vance | 41.077 | 1932-05-20 | BRO | NYG | L 4-9 | 7.1 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 25 |
| 11 | Tom Glavine | 41.077 | 2007-06-10 | NYM | DET | L 7-15 | 4.1 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 12 | Roger Clemens | 41.022 | 2003-08-26 | NYY | CHW | L 2-13 | 4.2 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 15 |
| 13 | Orlando Hernandez | 40.308 | 2006-08-15 | NYM | PHI | L 4-11 | 4.0 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 2 | -1 |
| 14 | Orel Hershiser | 40.233 | 1999-05-07 | NYM | ARI | L 7-14 | 4.1 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| 15 | Dazzy Vance | 40.185 | 1931-09-05 (2) | BRO | NYG | L 1-10 | 6.0 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 20 |
| 16 | David Wells | 40.099 | 2003-08-27 | NYY | CHW | L 2-11 | 5.1 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 |
Moyer broke his own record, but by quite a large margin of nearly 3 years.
Keep in mind that these 'records' I refer to go back to 1920, plus there's the possibility of games in the period 1940-1951 that don't show up in my searches.
Amazingly, the next oldest starter to allow 9 ER in no more than 1 inning was Orlando Hernandez at age 34 in a 2000 game.
Check out Moyer's last two starts for the Phillies:
| Rk | Gcar | Gtm | Date | Tm | Opp | Rslt | Inngs | Dec | DR | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | HBP | BF | Pit | Str | 2B | Entered | Exited | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 678 | 54 | Jun 5 | PHI | SDP | W,6-2 | CG | W(6-5) | 5 | 9.0 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3.98 | 34 | 98 | 65 | 2 | 1t start tie | 9t 3 out a4 | |
| 12 | 679 | 59 | Jun 11 | PHI | @ | BOS | L,2-12 | GS-2 | L(6-6) | 5 | 1.0 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5.03 | 13 | 61 | 34 | 6 | 1b start tie | 2b -2- 0 out d8 |
| PHI | 73.1 | 73 | 44 | 41 | 15 | 34 | 11 | 4 | 5.03 | 308 |
The ERA column lists his seasonal ERA year-to-date at the conclusion of each game. It's purely psychological but it's painful to see his ERA jump from under 4 to over 4 in one game.
It can't be too often that a pitcher has back-to-back games of such extremes.
June 12th, 2010 at 1:03 pm
Someone noticed yesterday, when I asked if he'd set the home run record yet, that Moyer has never hit a home run in the major leagues. Obviously, he spent some time in the AL, but does he have the longest career of anyone who's never hit a homer?
June 12th, 2010 at 1:39 pm
I wonder how many times -- if any -- Paige gave up 9 earned runs in a game. He would be the only candidate I can think of as possibly being both that old and that futile at the same time.
June 12th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
@1
24 seasons with no homers ties him with Jesse Orosco and Roger Clemens.
By plate appearances he's not close. For pitchers, its Tommy Bond with 1997 PA. Modern pitchers its Don Sutton with 1559 PA.
I don't think they would have left Satchel Paige in long enough to give up 9 runs. Phil Niekro gave up 8 runs a couple times as a 48 year old. So, that's something Moyer can look forward to.
June 12th, 2010 at 4:13 pm
I'd hate to think how much butthurt you'd suffer if it went from under 4 to over 5 in one game!
June 12th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
In that context I meant jumping over 4 entirely. Watch your language please. I'm obliged to censor vulgarity and you're getting close.
June 12th, 2010 at 6:27 pm
His GS was minus 1. (-1) is that the record for a [pitcher his age too?
Also Blanton nearly finished with a neg GS today (he was +3), does anyone know if pitchers have ever had back to back neg GS's in consecutive games?
June 12th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Most pitchers would probably beg for the opportunity to set any records for pitching at Jamie's age.
Any record you can still be setting at that age is a good one!
Knowing Moyer, he's probably already forgotten it.
June 14th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
The Spectrum is gone. "Both ends of the
Core StatesFirst UnionWachovia (and soon to be Wells Fargo) Center" is more accurate now.Sorry, I couldn't resist posting this.
June 17th, 2010 at 1:20 am
Nor I this:
Wow! Talk about makeup.
After the worst start of his Major League career in Boston (1 IP, 9 ER), Moyer bounces back with a beauty at Yankee Stadium.
Just three hits -- solo homers by Cano in the second and Posada in the fifth, and an infield single by Russo in the eighth -- in eight full innings for the win. He walked one, struck out five and threw 107 pitches.
Jamie's one win behind Roy Halladay's eight for the team lead.