User:GhostRiver/moyer

Professional career

Draft and minor leagues (1984–1986)

The Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB) selected Moyer in the sixth round, 135th overall, of the 1984 MLB Draft. After signing with the team and spending 10 days training in Mesa, Arizona, Moyer was assigned to the Class A Short-Season Geneva Cubs of the New York–Penn League. He made 14 starts in his first season of professional baseball, including two shutouts, and went 9–3 with a 1.89 ERA, additionally striking out 120 batters in 104+2⁄3 innings of work. Following his performance in Geneva, Moyer opened the 1985 baseball season with the Low-A Winston-Salem Spirits. After going 2–2 with a 2.54 ERA that April, as well as 42 strikeouts in 39 innings, Moyer was named the Carolina League player of the month. He made 12 starts for the Spirits, going 8–2 with a 2.30 ERA while striking out 94 batters in as many innings, before receiving a June call-up to the Double-A Pittsfield Cubs, who needed a replacement for the recently-promoted Steve Engel. He made 15 starts after the promotion, posting a 7–6 record, 3.72 ERA, and 51 strikeouts in 96+2⁄3 innings for Pittsfield. Through his first two seasons of professional baseball, managers, coaches, and scouts were impressed by Moyer's performance, particularly his changeup and curveball pitches, which a Baseball America survey determined were the best in the Carolina League.

Moyer returned to Pittsfield for the 1986 season, where he was part of a starting rotation that also contained fellow left-handed pitchers Carl Hamilton and Drew Hall, as well as right-handers Greg Maddux and Jackie Davidson. He had a perfect 0.00 ERA until April 29, when Jeff Treadway and Lenny Harris of the Vermont Reds each hit home runs in their 3–1 defeat of Pittsfield. He made six starts for Pittsfield in 1986, going 3–1 with a 0.88 ERA while striking out 42 batters in 41 innings. On May 15, Moyer was promoted to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs to replace Doug Potestio, who had suffered an elbow injury. Manager Larry Cox praised the addition of Moyer, whose 3–0 record and 0.71 ERA in the two weeks after his promotion he credited with lighting "a little spark under the rest of the staff". In six appearances for Iowa, Moyer went 3–2 with a 2.55 ERA, and he struck out 25 batters in 42+1⁄3 innings.

Chicago Cubs (1986–1988)

On June 14, 1986, Moyer and outfielder Dave Martinez were promoted to the Chicago Cubs, while Matt Keough and Terry Francona were sent back down to Iowa. Moyer struggled in his MLB debut two days later, allowing five runs on eight hits while walking three batters and hitting another two, but eventually worked his way out of the problem, pitching 6+1⁄3 innings and taking the win in a 7–5 victory over his hometown Philadelphia Phillies. He was far less successful in his next outing, allowing 43 total bases in the Phillies' 19-1 rout of the Cubs on June 23, a game which broke the San Francisco Giants' record of 18 runs in one game that season. On July 10, Moyer left his start against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning, retiring only two batters in the 11–4 defeat, but he followed this appearance with eight scoreless innings in the Cubs' 6–1 victory over the San Diego Padres on July 21. Moyer pitched a complete game shutout on August 16, carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning before Jim Wohlford singled; despite the hit, he carried on to defeat the Montreal Expos 5-0. He was involved in another shutout on September 20, combining with relief pitchers Ed Lynch and Lee Smith for a 1–0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Not allowing a run despite four runners in scoring position in the first six innings, Moyer's performance helped built his reputation as a pitcher who remains undaunted and can work his way out of trouble. The Cubs struggled in 1986, with president and general manager Dallas Green calling their performance "unacceptable", but Moyer and fellow minor-league call-up Guy Hoffman put together two of the better pitching displays for the team. Moyer appeared in 16 games after his promotion, going 7–4 with a 5.05 ERA and striking out 45 batters in 87+1⁄3 innings.

Moyer made the Cubs' Opening Day roster in 1987, joining Greg Maddux as two young pitchers given the opportunity to earn a place in the starting rotation in the absence of Scott Sanderson and Dennis Eckersley.

• 1987
• 1988

Texas Rangers (1989–1990)

• 1989
• 1990

St. Louis Cardinals (1991)

The St. Louis Cardinals signed Moyer to a one-year, minor-league contract on January 10, 1991, which included an invitation to spring training. A preseason injury to Joe Magrane left Moyer the only left-handed pitcher in the Cardinals' roster, and he made the team out of spring training as a primary reliever who could be called upon to start when needed. He struggled in the first of these starts, allowing five runs on seven hits in less than three innings as the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Cardinals 11–4 on April 12. After starting the season 0–5 with a 5.74 ERA in eight appearances, Moyer was optioned to the Triple-A Louisville Redbirds on May 23, with Omar Olivares called up to take his place on the St. Louis pitching staff. There, he was 5–10 with a 3.80 ERA in 20 appearances, all starts, and struck out 69 batters in 125+2⁄3 innings.

Detroit Tigers organization (1992)

Moyer, who was released by the Cardinals at the end of the 1991 MLB season, signed a minor league contract to return to the Chicago Cubs on January 8, 1992. He was sent to the Iowa Cubs during spring training and was released by the team before playing in a game, but continued to practice in the hopes that he would be taken by the Florida Marlins or Colorado Rockies in the 1992 MLB expansion draft. At the end of May, the Detroit Tigers signed Moyer to a minor league contract and assigned him to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens, who were short on pitchers after a number of injuries and promotions. He made 21 appearances in Toledo, going 10–8 with a 2.86 ERA in the process, and struck out 80 batters in 138+2⁄3 innings.

Baltimore Orioles (1993–1995)

The Baltimore Orioles signed Moyer to a minor league contract on December 15, 1992. He began the season with the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings, going 2–0 with a 1.42 ERA in his first two starts while striking out 11 batters in his first 12+2⁄3 innings of the 1993 minor league season. After Arthur Rhodes suffered a knee injury that May, Moyer, who was 6–0 with a 1.67 ERA, was called up as his replacement. Making his first major league appearance since May 21, 1991, Moyer allowed two runs on 10 hits in 7+1⁄3 innings in the Orioles' May 20 game against the Cleveland Indians, but took the loss in the 3–1 defeat.

• 1993
• 1994
• 1995

Boston Red Sox (1996)

The Boston Red Sox signed Moyer to a one-year contract on December 23, 1995, but could not guarantee him a position in the 1996 starting rotation. Midway through spring training, Red Sox manager Kevin Kennedy told reporters that Moyer was "going to get a chance to do that role", serving as the fifth member of the rotation, behind Roger Clemens, Aaron Sele, Tim Wakefield, and Tom Gordon. Moyer recorded Boston's first win of the season on April 7, allowing one run on four hits and striking out six batters in 7+1⁄3 innings of the team's 3–1 win over the Kansas City Royals. He was less successful through the remainder of April, and after finishing the month with a 2–1 record and 6.10 ERA, Kennedy moved Moyer to the bullpen. After dropping his ERA down to 4.66 in the bullpen, Moyer was moved back into the rotation in July, pitching 5+2⁄3 innings of a 6–4 win over the Detroit Tigers. He followed this effort with eight scoreless innings in a 13–2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles on July 19. Moyer ultimately made 23 appearances for Boston, 10 of which were starts, and he went 7–1 with a 4.50 ERA while striking out 50 batters in 90 innings.

Seattle Mariners (1996–2006)

On July 30, 1996, the Red Sox traded Moyer to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for outfielder Darren Bragg. He won his debut with the new team, pitching seven innings of a 9–2 trumph over the Milwaukee Brewers and extending his win streak to four for the season. He came close to pitching a complete game shutout in the Mariners' 10–3 defeat of the Orioles on August 22, but after allowing ninth-inning home runs to Mike Deveraux and Brady Anderson, he was relieved by Norm Charlton. Although the trading deadline additions of Moyer and fellow pitcher Terry Mulholland placed the Mariners in a pennant race during the final stretch of the season, they ultimately missed the playoffs as the Orioles took the AL wild card. In 11 starts after his midseason trade, Moyer went 6–2 with a 3.31 ERA, striking out 29 batters in 70+2⁄3 innings. That November, he signed a two-year, $3.7 million contract to remain with the Mariners, with an additional $2.3 million option for the 1999 season.

• 1997 (POSTSEASON)
• 1998
• 1999
• 2000
• 2001 (POSTSEASON)
• 2002
• 2003
• 2004
• 2005
• 2006

Philadelphia Phillies (2006–2010)

Moyer with the Phillies in 2010

• 2006
• 2007 (POSTSEASON)
• 2008 (POSTSEASON)
• 2009
• 2010

On July 20, Moyer left his scheduled start against the St. Louis Cardinals after only one inning with a strained left elbow. After visiting a surgeon at the end of the month, Moyer revealed that, although the injury was not career-ending and did not require surgery, the rehabilitation process did mean that his season was over. He finished with a 9-9 record and 4.84 ERA in 19 appearances, striking out 63 batters in 111+2⁄3 innings. The Phillies removed Moyer from the 40-man roster at the end of the 2010 season, leaving him a free agent.

Colorado Rockies and end of career (2011–2012)

Moyer with the Rockies in 2012

After his release from the Phillies, Moyer joined the Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Professional Baseball League, fueling speculation that he would attempt to pitch again in 2011. In his third start with the team, Moyer injured himself mid-pitch, with Escogido's general manager telling reporters that he had "a bruise the size of a golf ball at the elbow". The bruise turned out to be an ulnar collateral ligament injury, and Moyer underwent Tommy John surgery in December 2010, but he hoped that he could re-enter the major leagues for the 2012 season.

On January 18, 2012, Moyer signed a minor-league contract with the Colorado Rockies, with an invitation to spring training.

• Colorado Rockies

Six days after his release from the Rockies, Moyer signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles and reported to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides. His contract stipulated that he would make three starts there, after which the Orioles would have to either promote him to Baltimore or release him. Moyer put up strong numbers in those three starts, going 1–1 with a 1.69 ERA over 16 innings, but Zach Britton and Chris Tillman gave the Orioles a younger pitching depth, and he was released on June 23. Three days later, the Toronto Blue Jays signed Moyer to another minor league contract, and he was assigned to the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s. Although the Toronto pitching staff had suffered a number of injuries, a major-league call-up became unlikely for Moyer after he went 1–1 with an 8.18 ERA in his two tryout starts, allowing three home runs in only 11 innings. He was released by the Blue Jays on July 6, 2012.

Retirement

Although Moyer told The Seattle Times in April 2013 that he had not "closed [the] door" on returning to MLB, he announced his retirement from the sport that October, telling Dave Davies of NPR's Fresh Air, "I'm done. I don't think I'll be playing again." He finished his career with

Personal life

Moyer married Karen Phelps, daughter of Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball coach Digger Phelps, on October 29, 1988. The couple were introduced by sportscaster Harry Caray when Phelps was serving as his intern at WGN-TV. The couple divorced around 2017 after 28 years of marriage. Moyer and Phelps have eight children together, including two that they adopted from Guatemala.

Moyer converted to Catholicism around the time of his wedding and attends Mass regularly.