12 Days of Mariners-mas: Crafty Lefty Jamie Moyer is #8

Slow and steady on the eighth day of Mariners-mas, here is #8 on are all-time Mariners’ list Jamie Moyer! Known for frustrating hitters with his deceptive changeup, Moyer baffled hitters across baseball with his deliberately slow change in velocity.
A journey-man starter when he arrived in 1996 in trade with the Boston Red Sox, Jamie Moyer proved to be incredibly reliable and valuable to the Mariners success in his time with the ball club. Playing about 10 seasons with the Seattle Mariners from 1996-2006, Moyer made his way in the major leagues by keeping tabs on every hitter in MLB with his notebook on how to get hitters out.

Jamie Moyer comes in at number 8 on the Mariners list all time.

A true student of the game of baseball, Jamie Moyer used his wits and deception masterfully. He compiled a 3.97 ERA and a (145-87) win-loss record, good for a 62.5%-win percentage as a starter for the Mariners and finishing with a WAR of 34.2 with the club.
Moyer was a great presence in the Mariners clubhouse over his time with the M’s. His 3.43 ERA over 33 games in 2001 was remarkable and helped guide the Mariners pitching staff to the best ERA in baseball.

Moyer accomplished what very few pitchers have been able to do, pitch until he was 49 years old. He also is the oldest pitcher to record a win by giving up just 2 unearned runs in 7 IP for the Rockies in a 5-3 win over the Padres back in 2012. Moyer never wanted to retire from the game of baseball, he truly loved the game and would have played into his 50s had a big-league club given him the chance. He played for 25 years for eight different teams. Most of his career was in Seattle and much of his winning as a pitcher came while pitching in the Pacific Northwest.

Currently, the Mariners have another lefty with a similar style of pitching to Jamie Moyer, in starting pitcher Marco Gonzales. Hopefully, he can follow in Moyer’s footsteps and help guide the Mariners back to the playoffs.