If Jamie Moyer never throws another pitch for the Phillies, it's fair to say that he's already earned his salary. Aside from the team going 10-3 in all of his starts since joining the team late last year, Moyer has also been a visible mentor for up-and-coming star Cole Hamels as well as the rest of the pitching staff.
But aside from his duties as the de facto pitching coach, Moyer also has a little Knute Rockne beneath that elder statesman veneer. Maybe Knute Rockne with some Redd Foxx mixed in…
According to a fascinating report from Beef Salisbury in today's Inquirer, Moyer was the most forceful and influential voices in a nearly 80-minute team meeting prior to a game on April 21 in Cincinnati. Though several players, manager Charlie Manuel, former managers turned coaches Jimy Williams and Davey Lopes took turns addressing the team, it was Moyer who spoke with the most weight and poignancy.
"We're playing like a bunch of (wimps)," Moyer told his teammates.
Only he didn't use the word "wimps." And his teammates loved it.
"He's awesome," Chase Utley said in the story.
"Moyer was good," Manuel said in the story. "He was very stern."
Afterwards, Salisbury talked to Moyer about the meeting and his role in it:
"I just wanted to give the team my feelings," he said. "I've always believed if you have things on your chest, you need to get them off. I tried to bring up points that I thought were valid and important to get across to my teammates.
"I'm at the point in my career where I want to win. That's it. I [re-signed] here because I thought this team had a really good chance of winning, because I liked what I saw late last season."
Moyer did offer a hint about his overall message.
"I've been around a long time, and I know that over the course of 162 games, there are times you may lose focus," he said. "You can't get caught up in personal things like 'I'm not hitting,' or 'I've allowed five home runs.'"
Moyer shrugged.
"I wasn't trying to offend anyone," he said. "If someone had a problem with it, they could have confronted me, but no one has."
And they say the old man can't bring the heat…
Read the entire report: Moyer's words were a spark when the Phillies were reeling