Moyer says Phils "misled" him, Phils respond
I was on the radio before the clubhouse opened and was asked if Moyer would criticize the team for moving him to the bullpen. I said no, Jamie Moyer might be privately grousing, but he is way to savvy and protective of his own image to rip the team in public. I was very, very, wrong.
Moyer says Phils "misled" him, Phils respond
Andy Martino
I was on the radio before the clubhouse opened and was asked if Moyer would criticize the team for moving him to the bullpen. I said no, Jamie Moyer might be privately grousing, but he is way to savvy and protective of his own image to rip the team in public. I was very, very, wrong.
Here's a more fully fleshed out description of the events as they unfolded:
Jamie Moyer sat alone in the stands at Wrigley Field this afternoon, staring at the infield. He made his major league debut here on June 16, 1986, pitching for the Cubs against the Phillies and his boyhood hero, Steve Carlton.
After a few silent minutes, he sent for the media, and expressed strong displeasure about a late-career development. Moyer, 46, is 10-9, with a 5.47 earned run average this season, and Monday was assigned to the bullpen to accommodate Pedro Martinez, who will make his Phillies debut today as a member of the starting rotation.
“I’m really not happy with this decision that the Phillies have made,” Moyer said. “I will take what they’ve asked me to do, but I’m not real excited about the decision that’s been made.”
Moyer said that, when he negotiated his TK contract with the Phils last winter, he felt that an understanding existed between him, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. and owner David Montgomery that he would start.
"I feel like I've been misled,” Moyer said. “I’m a little disheartened a little bit because I know this past winter when I was negotiating with the Phillies, this was a sore thumb, if you will, about this potentially happening. Ruben [Amaro Jr.], you can’t promise anything in this game, but I really felt that Ruben kind of parlayed to me that this type of situation would not happen.
“I actually even had some conversation with David [Montgomery], and them reassuring me this type of situation won’t happen. Again, I’m a little disheartened by the way it’s happened, how it’s happened.”
Amaro and Montgomery were not in Chicago with the team. Amaro said through a team representative that “When we signed Jamie Moyer it was under the pretense of him being a starter. But right now circumstances have changed….we’re not going to get into any contract negotiations. That’s between players and club.”
Manager Charlie Manuel said that the decision to remove Moyer from the rotation was agonizing. “The toughest decision I ever made,” Manuel said. “It was very hard. What do you want me to say?”
Manuel added that while he did not know what Moyer’s role in the bullpen would be, he would feel comfortable utilizing the lefty as he does Scott Eyre, in hey situations against lefthanded hitters.
“We will look for places to pitch him and keep him sharp and you never know what’s going to happen,” he said.
Martinez said that “he has all the regard in the world” for Moyer. “I don’t have enough words to say how I feel about Jamie.”
Moyer, on the other hand, has no trouble finding words. “Whether I like it or not, this is the situation I’m in,” he said. “I will deal with it. I will deal with it in a respectful way. I’ll be respectful to my teammates. I do not want to be a distraction, and I refuse to be a distraction. It’s about the 25 players that are here and are playing. We all have to pick each other up. We all have to support each other And we all have to be professional."
****
You be the judge: Was HE being professional today?
Comments (130)
Jamie, you actually should have retired last year on a high note. Don't sweat it, Pedro will be on the DL shortly.— acanders- I feel misled too - I thought the Phils saw something I didn't see when they gave him two years. Guess not. To paraphrase T.O.'s former spokesperson, Jamie's got 14 million reasons to just shut up and move over.
- I'm rather surprised that Jamie spoke out this way. If he chose to not be a distraction then why voice his complaints to the media. He should, after all these years, realize that nothing in professional sports is guaranteed. He certainly has not pitched well, and though he may deserve better as a clubhouse good guy, the team is what matters. I'm quite sure that no player likes to be removed from his spot, but if your thirdbaseman is hitting .200 come August you look for a replacement. Same with a starter with a 5.5ERA. He has not pitched well, and maybe some rest will do him some good. And Pedro hasn't even thrown a pitch yet so we'll see how that goes. I was really happy when the club signed him again, but at his age it was never a sure thing. He's been out pitched by Happ, and the addition of Lee and now Pedro made this move necessary for the betterment of the T-E-A-M. He can teach those youngsters a thing or two in the bullpen like a trooper. This spoils his reputation as a team guy.— AlanInFlorida
- Jamie went to the press. Thought hard about it and did it anyway. Talk to Charlie, Ruben and Dave but not through the press. After all these years, he knows better or should have. Giving him two years was pure charity. Let him go pitch in a huge park, where he might have a chance. i'm not sure every 5th day, we have to worry about scoring 6 to have a chance. But Moyer thinks it is good enough. Team man.— oldBird
- Jamie went to the press. Thought hard about it and did it anyway. Talk to Charlie, Ruben and Dave but not through the press. After all these years, he knows better or should have. Giving him two years was pure charity. Let him go pitch in a huge park, where he might have a chance. i'm not sure every 5th day, we have to worry about scoring 6 to have a chance. But Moyer thinks it is good enough. Team man.— oldBird
- it was a political descion nothing more,if you go on stats alone any number of phillies should be replaced— soliteryman
Yes, he was professional. He is expressing a balance between losing his role as a starter--the only role he's known for 12 years--and a grudging acceptance that he'll respect what is (maybe) best for the team. He has a right to say he was misled, but at the same time, his performance has deteriorated with an ERA almost 2 runs higher than last year. He realizes that is why this decision had to be made. I commend Jamie for his guts and his service, both as a teammate and most worthy off the field activities.- Take your 13.6 million and be quiet.— Hatfield_ham
- as shocked as I am moyer would say anything disparaging, I am even more shocked at the venom that has been spit at him from philly "fans", and I... oh wait, I forgot the main thing here. PHILLY "fans". you guys seriously embarrass me. I hope you're mets trolls, but I know you're just the usual unsatisfiable, unreasonable a-hole philadelphia "fans". I would also like to bring up that I am not happy with harry kalas' work this season. dying on the job? unacceptable harry. I'll be startin up a flash mob to go pee on his grave. anyone interested go to www.youreprobablyanahole.com for details.— ChampAnderson
- TFB. If he didn't own the highest ERA of any starter in the NL he would still be in the rotation. What does he have to complain about? Just look at the numbers.— BobbyD
- a dishearted Moyer is the worst on our problems. I am concerned about Utley and Howard. I haven't seen Utley this lost at the plate..ever. We need more from him than walks and HBP. Howard? Isn't this when he is supposed to be hot? This will be four straight years of diminishing homer numbers. Anyone wonder if steroid talk might kick in if he only hits 33 or so this year? And if he does, do we try to trade him?— phillies1001
- Keep him ready. We still don't know what Pedro will do. I'd flip flop him with Martinez especially on the road. Now even the Marlins have figured out how to slow down their bats when facing Jamie. Thanks for the contribution Mr Moyer.
- you got a ring, now shut up— fman727
- I'm disappointed that Moyer took his complaints public. He says it's about the 25 players on the team. If that's truly the case then he wouldn't have revealed his unhappiness. Here he is with a chance to win another World Series but yet he's upset that he's the odd man out. How many other 46 year old players are there? How many 46 year old men have had a chance to win a championship? My question to Moyer is this: would you rather win another World Series or would you rather be a starter somewhere else? If you really want to start, then the Phillies can place you on waivers and see if someone is really interested in trading for you. And if no one claims you then you can pack your bags, go home and be like the rest of the 46 year old men in the country. Last year, Brett Myers accepted his minor league assignment without complaining. Who would have thought that in this instance Myers would set the better example of being a team player.— HighPlainsDrifter
- Jamie you gave them ten wins on the standings, and you just let them know your feeling on being sat down. Now its time to show us all the Character we all know you have and accept the decision that Charlie has made. It was one of the toughest of his career. Relax, rest that arm during the dog days of August and be ready for the playoffs.— xmar
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