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Nostalgia Prospect: Jamie Moyer

Nostalgia Prospect Retro: Jamie Moyer

Jamie Moyer was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the sixth round of the 1984 draft, out of St. Joseph's University. The Cubs assigned Moyer to Geneva in the New York-Penn League after he signed. His pro debut was excellent: 9-3, 1.89 ERA in 14 starts, with a 120/31 K/BB in 105 innings. He allowed only 59 hits. Moyer's K/IP and H/IP marks were those of a power pitcher, but his style was finesse: mediocre fastball, decent breaking stuff, excellent changeup, sharp control. College-trained pitchers with this style usually have a pretty easy time in the low minors, so Moyer's early pro performance was not a guarantee of success at higher levels. I would probably have rated him as a Grade C+ prospect pending higher level data.

Moyer began 1985 with Winston-Salem in the Carolina League, making 12 starts with an 8-2 record, 2.30 ERA, and 94/22 K/BB in 94 innings. Excellent numbers. Promoted to Double-A Pittsfield at midseason, he went 7-6, 3.72 in 15 starts. However, his K/IP ratio declined sharply: 51/32 K/BB in 97 innings. The strong drop in K/IP was an indication that his approach was not as effective against more advanced hitters, a sign that further adjustments would be needed. Given the K/IP decline, I would have left him at Grade C+ in all likelihood.

Moyer returned to Pittsfield in `86, going 3-1, 0.88 in six starts. His K/IP went back to previous standards, 42 in 41 innings. Moved up to Triple-A Iowa, he went 3-2, 2.55 in six starts but his K/IP slipped back again, to 25 in 42 innings. Moyer moved up to the Cubs for half the season, going 7-4, 5.05 in 16 starts with a 45/42 K/BB, allowing 107 hits in 87 innings. He pitched well at times but was also overmatched at times. His component ratios were not very good at all. I remember thinking at the time that he needed additional Triple-A exposure.

The Cubs had Moyer in the rotation in `87 and `88. He won 12 games but with a 5.10 ERA in `87. He won just nine in 30 starts in `88, but actually pitched better with a 3.48 ERA and much improved components, cutting his walk rate in half. Nevertheless, the Cubs seemed frustrated with him and he was traded to Texas.

Moyer struggled with injuries and general inconsistency for the next few years, but found new life with the Mariners in the mid-90s. He has been a very successful pitcher for a decade now, continuing to win despite a loss in velocity because of guile, location, movement, and trickery.

As a prospect, Moyer was a classic example of the college-trained finesse lefty, dominating the low minors, but having some problems in his first exposure to advanced hitters. The collapse in his strikeout rate when first reaching Double-A is typical for this type of pitcher. The thing is that many guys like this fail to adjust their game. Moyer did, turning an 85 MPH fastball and a changeup into a 200+ win career.

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Typical Sox Move
I love how as soon as the Red Sox get rid of him, he morphs from sub-100 ERA+ 33 year-old journeyman into a left-handed version of Maddux.

by SmokeyJoeWood on Mar 23, 2006 1:57 PM EST reply actions  

Well,
I think that was just payback for the Heacliff Sloccumb for Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe trade

by Trenchtown on Mar 23, 2006 4:23 PM EST up reply actions  

Pitcher that hit
Help me with a trivia question because it's driving me crazy.  The Cubs had a pitcher that routinely hit high in the order and even hit on his days off.

It may have been late 80's, but I think it was early 90's

Who was that guy...?

by themurph @ Minor League Ball on Mar 23, 2006 2:17 PM EST reply actions  

Rick suttcliffe
He pinch hit occasionally and pinch ran quite a bit with those cub teams of my early youth..

by aaronb on Mar 23, 2006 2:20 PM EST reply actions  

lightning striking twice
Leave it to the cubs to produce Greg Maddux and Jamie Moyer at exactly the same time, and yet fail to hold on to either guy.

by aaronb on Mar 23, 2006 2:21 PM EST reply actions  

Moyer and the Cubs
As a Cub fan, that trade with the Rangers is especially painful to remember. Of course they gave up Palmeiro as well for Mitch Williams, Paul Kilgus, Curtis Wilkerson, Steve Wilson, and a bag of balls.
Please fire Dusty Baker!

by Buddy on Mar 23, 2006 2:28 PM EST reply actions  

And proceeded to win the division
In the long term maybe you're right, in the short term Williams was exactly what the Cubs needed.

I also don't think ever would have been as successful in Wrigley, his off balance, out in front swings on his change ups would have blown out onto Waveland.

by HuskerBob on Mar 23, 2006 2:53 PM EST up reply actions  

I remember it netted us the 89 pennant
If we only had a competent GM back then. Trading Lee smith for Calvin Schiraldi and Al Nipper necessitated the Palmeiro for Wild thing deal. Well that and Cindy Sandberg.

by aaronb on Mar 23, 2006 2:38 PM EST reply actions  

Dark meat
The rumor is that a certain superstar's wife had a thing with Palmeiro and Dave Martinez.

by Flynn Blake on Mar 24, 2006 3:50 AM EST up reply actions  

Harry Caray.
I'll always associate Moyer with a comment Harry Caray once made while he was pitching for the Cubs (poorly, that day): "Boy, he gives up a lot of hits".

by Steve F on Mar 23, 2006 3:10 PM EST reply actions  

My favorite Harry Caray line was
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto rico lose a ball in the sun?"

by aaronb on Mar 23, 2006 3:22 PM EST reply actions  

If you haven't
go download Caray trying to pronounce Hideki Irabu's name.  I know that it was on the Jim Rome Show for weeks after.

by Terry Ryan Jr on Mar 23, 2006 3:43 PM EST up reply actions  

Mark Grudzielanek
I remember one game Harry trying to pronounce his name, and finally giving up and calling him "Mark G" the rest of the way.

by Steve F on Mar 24, 2006 2:28 PM EST up reply actions  

My all time favorite Harry Carey Line
"Moises Alou steps in.  Ya know Steve, Alou spelled backwards is Uola."

by gatling on Mar 23, 2006 5:15 PM EST up reply actions  

Nomo
I was watching the first time Nomo faced the Cubs on WGN. Harry had some gems:

"Look at all the Japanese people and their cameras"

"This would be a good night to go to Chinatown"

and, after the WGN crew cut to the Japanese announcers doing a few seconds,

"I don't understand a single thing that guy said" when anyone with half a brain could pick out stee-ru and bo-ru. But he's another generation, so I guess he can be forgiven for that.

Even Thom Brennaman got into the stupid act, wondering if "Hideo" had anything to do with "video."

That was some telecast.

by Flynn Blake on Mar 24, 2006 3:54 AM EST up reply actions  

More of my favorite quotes
With Eddie Zambrano stepping to the plate in an early 90's April game:

"Zambrero.....Zambranski......Zambarmo........haha, its still cold out here, Steve"

"We couldn't hit a homerun in a phone booth"

by HuskerBob on Mar 24, 2006 9:50 AM EST up reply actions  

Ryne Santo
'nuff said.

by HanshinTiger on Mar 24, 2006 2:11 PM EST up reply actions  

Thanks John
Thanks for taking my suggestion John :)

That was my first post on your site.

by HanshinTiger on Mar 23, 2006 7:04 PM EST reply actions  

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