Colorado Rockies History: Jamie Moyer Oldest to Earn Victory
An ageless wonder, it seemed as though Jamie Moyer would end up pitching forever. On this day in 2012, he continued to defy his age, becoming the oldest player to earn a Major League victory as the Colorado Rockies defeated the San Diego Padres 5-3.
It took quite some time for Jamie Moyer to establish himself at the major League level. He was a mediocre starter for three clubs before spending the entire 1992 season in the minors, and seemed like he would be, at best, an organizational depth piece. That was until he resurrected his career with the Baltimore Orioles, and eventually found his way to the Seattle Mariners, where he blossomed. Moyer won 20 games twice, and made an All Star appearance at 40 years old.
By the time he signed with the Colorado Rockies in 2012, Moyer was well past his peak. He had undergone Tommy John surgery and was trying to come back to the Majors, although the odds were against him at 49 years old. Nonetheless, he made the Rockies starting rotation out of Spring Training, and began the year well.
On this day in 2012, Moyer’s comeback made the history books. After a couple of decent starts to the season, Moyer earned his first victory, as the Rockies defeated the Padres 5-3. With that win, Moyer surpassed Jack Quinn as the oldest pitcher in MLB history to win a game, doing so at 49 years and 150 days old.
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It was, in a lot of ways, a typical Moyer start. He scattered six hits and two walks over seven innings, allowing just two runs. His mixture of offspeed and breaking pitches proved effective, as he kept the Padres off balance throughout most of the game.
Unfortunately, the good times would not continue. Moyer pitched well in a no decision in his next start, but began to struggle afterwards. Aside from one final solid performance, he showed every bit of those 49 years on the mound before being released on May 30. At that point, Moyer had a 2-5 record, along with a 5.70 ERA and a 1.733 WHiP.
That was not the end of his career however. Moyer signed a minor league contract with the Orioles, and pitched well. However, as he was not about to be called up in the near future, he was given his release. He then signed with the Blue Jays, and struggled in AAA, leading to another release and the end of his career.
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It only seemed as though Jamie Moyer pitched forever. However, on this day in 2012, he made history as his first victory with the Colorado Rockies made him the oldest player to earn a win in the Majors.