Jamie Moyer is, of course, a little more important than that. For the third time in the last two seasons, he will have a chance to push the Phillies franchise beyond barriers, both self-made and psychological, when he starts Game 3 of the NL
Division Series against the Brewers tonight. Moyer won the final Sunday game that finally pushed the Phillies into the playoffs last season, and this season allowed Cole Hamels to re-energize when he sealed the deal on the final Saturday.
He won 16 games this season. He did it with the same fastball he's had since his days at St. Joe's, the one that rarely gets higher than the low-80s, the same one he came into the league with 23 seasons ago. Someone asked him yesterday about an old scouting report that he keeps in his shaving kit, more as a method to focus, not motivate.
"It more or less just says, 'You know what? He has average stuff, he likes to compete,' " Moyer said. "He's learning how to pitch and he's lefthanded, so you never know what can happen."
We all know what happened. Moyer studied pitchers and pitching. Especially the guys who looked as if they, too, had average stuff. Especially the guys who looked as if they had really learned how to pitch.
Rick Sutcliffe, that very first major league season, he said after yesterday's Phillies workout. Charlie Hough, the knuckleballer. Nolan Ryan the fireballer.
Maddux, even now.
"I like watching him pitch because every pitch has a purpose," Maddux was saying in the visitor's clubhouse of Wrigley Field last week. "It's not just a pitch because that's what he throws. He tailors it to the
situation. That's what makes it fun to watch him pitch. He mixes up his locations, his speed."
It's a club out there. But good luck getting a full membership list. Maddux and Moyer will tell you what young guys they like watching. "I love watching Roy Halladay pitch," Moyer said.
They won't tell you, though, who they don't like to watch.
