56 Years of History

Posted by Jonathan @ RGB Cards | Posted in , ,


Yes, it's been a long time since Jamie Moyer looked like that. Young, fresh-faced, his entire career ahead of him. Heck, I don't even think he had become Digger Phelps's son-in-law when that picture was taken sometime during his rookie year.

Remember when being Digger Phelps's son-in-law was Moyer's biggest claim to fame? I sure do!

An interesting fact I learned while looking through some Phillies games notes from this past weekend. I love looking at game notes. They're about the only thing that MLB hasn't put behind that damn firewall (good-bye, media guides) but they can contain some good information, and ideas for blog posts. For example...

The oldest person who Jamie Moyer faced in a major league game is now 67 years old.

He wasn't 67 when he batting against Moyer, of course - we're not talking about Minnie Minoso. But he is Cuban, like Minoso. No, this player was a sprightly 44.

He is a Hall of Famer. I wonder if Jamie Moyer will be able to say the same thing? I doubt it. Jamie Moyer's biggest legacy is his longevity.

This player started his career in 1964. Which means, when he and Moyer faced off in 1986, their combined careers would span for 56 years (and counting). Of course, no one knew that at the time. I mean, how could they? Who would have thought that goofy-looking rookie would pitch until he was 47 (and counting)?

You probably know the answer to the question. But in case you don't, here he is, in all his 1986 glory:

I love this card because it's Doggie and Eric Davis. For Reds fans, Eric Davis will always be a beloved figure in team history. Someday, I'll do a post just about him, and try to do him justice by it.

But back to this card - when you think of Perez, you think of him driving in runs. And my guess is that he just drove in ED with a home run, which were getting few and far between in the mid '80s for Doggie. I was actually present at the game when the Reds retired No. 24. It was in May 2000 and I just happened to be in town visiting my parents. When we decided to go to the Reds game, none of us knew it was Tony Perez Night. What a great "accidental" memory.

I don't know the circumstances of this pitcher, but I know it wasn't against Jamie Moyer - Doggie is 0-for-3 lifetime against him.

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