There are no promises in baseball. Jamie Moyer knows that. But that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be upset about the decision to move him to the bullpen to make room in the rotation for former Cy Young Award winning pitcher Pedro Martinez. The 46-year-old Moyer feels a little betrayed.
He sat alone in the fifth row of the Wrigley Field stands before last night’s game just staring, and thinking. After letting his new role sink in for a few minutes, he called the traveling media over.
Moyer, who is the consummate professional addressed the situation as only he could.
“I most certainly don’t want to be a distraction to my team, so I hope you guys will respect that,” Moyer began. “I’m just going to tell you that, you know what, I’m really not happy with this decision that the Phillies have made.”
“I most certainly don’t want to be a distraction to my team, so I hope you guys will respect that,” Moyer began. “I’m just going to tell you that, you know what, I’m really not happy with this decision that the Phillies have made.”
Moyer tried hard not to create a side story, but certainly showed his frustration. Frustration he certainly warrants having, after winning the team ten games already.
Moyer continued his soliloquy by expressing frustration with general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr.
Moyer continued his soliloquy by expressing frustration with general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr.
“Ultimately, I’m a little disheartened because I know this past winter when I was negotiating with the Phillies, this was a sore thumb, if you will, about this potentially happening. You can’t promise anything in this game, but I really felt that Ruben kind of parlayed to me that this type of situation would not happen.
I actually even had some conversation with David [Montgomery], and them reassuring me this type of situation won’t happen. Again, I’m a little disheartened by the way it’s happened, how it’s happened. We’re still in first place.”
But Moyer agrees the only way to get through this is to be a professional.
“I feel disheartened and misled, but I refuse to be a distraction,” he said.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, who ultimately agreed with Amaro on sending Moyer into a relief role said this has been among the hardest decisions he’s ever had to make.
“It was the toughest decisions I ever made because of who it was,” Manuel said. But he ultimately believed that Martinez “deserves a chance.”
And he will get a chance tonight in Chicago against Jeff Samardzija, who is 1-1 with an ERA over 6.00 in sixteen games for the Cubs.
Who knows, maybe he’ll be like the Pedro Martinez of old, but if he comes back as the washed up pitcher he was last year for the Mets, Moyer will be ready to reclaim his spot.
It may not be right away, as Martinez is guaranteed more than one start.
“He has to go more than one time,” Manuel reasoned. “He should get a chance.”
But the manager will also count on Moyer’s aid from his new role.
“He will be ready,” Manuel said. “And I won’t be afraid to use him.”