Even at the wise age of 44, Jamie Moyer learns something every day. Yes, when he takes the mound every 5 days, but more so when he goes home to rest his aching muscles.
At least he only is achy. While every other pitcher in the Phillies' Opening Day rotation suffered from everything from shoulder strains to ruptured foot tendons, Moyer was the only pitcher who didn't miss a game because of an injury.
Call it what you want, but just don't call it luck.
"It's anything but that," said Moyer, who started 33 games this season, posting a 14-12 record with a 5.01 earned run average. "Over my career, I had the good fortune of playing with some talented players who worked hard off the field. Seeing that as a young player was one of the most vital parts to my career."
The Bucks County native said that as he has aged, he learned he had to start listening to his body a lot more. Moyer knows he's not the same pitcher he was 10 years ago. His close relationships with the training staff and coaches, he said, have helped his longevity.
"If there are aches and pains, you have to speak up," he said. "You can't be a superhero and try to go out there and play through the pain or take care of it on your own, because, in the long run, it's only going to get worse."
Moyer was somewhat of a superhero to the Phillies this year. With his finesse approach, Moyer went seven innings or more 10 times this season. Since the Phillies acquired him from the Mariners last August, he has thrown at least six innings in 29 of his 41 starts. In games in which he pitches at least six innings, Moyer is 196-97 with a 3.02 ERA lifetime.
Moyer has pitched with the likes of Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux and Freddy Garcia and said he learned from them not only when they performed well on the field, but also when they were rehabbing in the trainer's room.
Moyer said his 199 1/3 innings pitched and 133 strikeouts wouldn't be possible without balancing his expectations with his capabilities, day in and day out. When Moyer feels great, he remains cautious not to overdo it. The same goes for his down days.
"You just really have to monitor yourself and continue to be honest with yourself," Moyer said. "There's really no secret way or routine to go about it."
Like the pitchers who once groomed him as a rookie, Moyer hopes he can serve in that capacity to such guys as Cole Hamels and Kyle Kendrick, pitchers who are half his age but have the potential to be dominant.
"They have to create who they are as a player," Moyer said. "I think they have to establish that first to themselves. There's a time and a place for everything, and everybody's different."
Not all the conversations Moyer has with the young pitchers are about pitching. Rarely does Moyer try to force-feed pointers to his fellow pitchers; instead, he tries to lead by example.
When he is summoned for a few tips, he challenges them to watch other pitchers pitch, watch the way other managers manage and learn the game as a whole.
"If you give yourself that challenge and you go out and learn something about the game, you'll be around this game for a really long time," Moyer said. "That's the key; you can never learn it all." *
