Phillies Jamie Moyer Becomes Oldest Pitcher to Throw Shutout

Jamie Moyer was an ageless wonder, pitching until he was 49 and making appearances in four decades. He continued his legend on this day in 2010, becoming the oldest pitcher to throw a shutout in Major League history.

Jamie Moyer was a personal favorite player of mine during his playing days. An ageless wonder who got by with a fastball that would routinely be passed on the interstate, Moyer continued to baffle players a full generation younger than he was, slowballing other teams into a false sense of security while racking up the wins. As long as he played, it allowed me to feel young.

The longer Moyer pitched, the more he rewrote the record books. He continued to carve his name into the annuls of baseball, and added another feather to his cap on this day in 2010. On this day, the Phillies starter became the oldest pitcher to throw a shutout, breaking the record held by Hall of Famer Phil Niekro.

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Facing the Atlanta Braves, Moyer was almost untouchable. He allowed only two hits, both to Troy Glaus. the first on a weak ground ball past third base in the second and base hit on a ground ball up the middle in the eighth. He did not allow a runner past first, facing one batter beyond the minimum. In that shutout, Moyer struck out five batters without issuing a walk, putting together one of the more dominant starts of his career.

That was not the only record that Moyer set that day. By pitching that shutout in 2010, he became the first, and only, pitcher to throw a shutout in four decades. Considering the longevity required, and the timing of that career, Moyer may be the only pitcher in that prestigious club for quite some time.

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Jamie Moyer may not have thrown hard, but he managed to fool the opposition enough to remain effective. In fact, in his later years, he may have thrown the best game in his career.