All “Born After Jamie Moyer’s Debut” Team - A 25 Man Roster

Jamie Moyer is going to try and keep pitching. He’s sitting on 267 wins and signed with the Colorado Rockies (always a good place for pitchers to revive their career) at age 49.

More than one person has noted that Moyer has pitched in the majors longer than some players have been alive. And that’s true, seeing that he’s logged 24 years in the show. But we here at Sully Baseball don’t just make idle statements. We create 25 man rosters.

So here a 25 man roster of the best players born after Jamie Moyer’s big league debut. I used June 16, 1986 as the absolute oldest date allowed for this roster. He pitched 6 1/3 innings at Wrigley Field that day, earning the win for the Cubs against the Phillies. He beat future Hall of Famer Steve Carlton that day. He got future Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt to ground into a double play.

Every single player on this roster was born AFTER that day.

Felix Hernandez, Billy Butler and Yovani Gallardo were born in 1986, but before his debut, so I excluded them.

But don’t worry. There are All Stars, World Series heroes and even a Cy Young Award winner who can honestly say that Jamie Moyer has been a big leaguer longer than they’ve been alive.

All “Born After Jamie Moyer’s Debut” Team

Starting Catcher
Buster Posey

The 2010 Rookie of the Year gave the Giants a much needed spark in their lineup and helped propel them to the World Series title. His season ending injury in 2011 probably ended his catching career. He has 32 career starts at first base.

Posey was born on March 27th, 1987, just before Moyer began his second season in the majors.



Starting First Baseman
Freddie Freeman

One of the brightest young stars in the game, Freeman finished second in the 2011 Rookie of the year vote. He smacked 21 homers and hit to a .282 clip.

Freeman was born on September 12, 1989, two days after Moyer threw a complete game victory for the Rangers against the Orioles.


Starting Second Baseman
Gordon Beckham

The White Sox first round draft pick in 2008 has made his mark at second base. He finished 5th in the 2009 Rookie of the Year vote, slugging 14 homers and posting an .808 OPS.

Beckham was born on September 16, 1986, the day after Moyer pitched 5 innings to defeat the Expos in Montreal, getting future Hall of Famer Andre Dawson to ground out to end a rally.


Starting Shortstop
Elvis Andrus

Andrus, stolen from the Braves organization in the Mark Teixeira deal, has been the spark plug for the Rangers back to back pennant winners. He has at least 32 steals in all three of his seasons and stole 4 bases in the Rangers ALCS upset over the Yankees in 2010.

Andrus was born August 26, 1988, three days after Moyer threw a complete game 9-3 victory over the Astros, helped by a home run by future Hall of Famer Andre Dawson.


Starting Third Baseman
Pablo Sandoval

The beloved “Kung Fu Panda” exploded onto the scene and into the hearts of Giants fans in 2008. He posted an OPS above .900 in both 2009 and 2011 and provided much needed home run pop. He struggled in the Giants World Series title run but clubbed a key RBI double in the NLCS against Philadelphia.

Sandoval was born on August 11, 1986, the same day Jamie Moyer and the Cubs lost 10-7 to Pittsburgh.


Starting Left Fielder
Mike Stanton

One of the most exciting young sluggers in the game, Stanton made the Marlins squad in 2010 at age 20 and hit 22 homers. He followed that with 34 jacks in 2011 and an 141 OPS+.

Stanton was born on November 8, 1989. Moyer had finished his first season with Texas then and had 32 career big league wins.


Starting Center Fielder
Andrew McCutchen

McCutchen, a rare Pirates draft pick that wasn’t a bust, is the electric and multi talented centerpiece to the franchise. Super fast with power and a flare for the dramatic, he made the 2011 All Star team with 23 homers, 23 stolen bases, 89 RBI and a 127 OPS+.

McCutchen was born on October 10, 1986, 15 days after Moyer pitched 7 solid innings against the eventual World Champion New York Mets.


Starting Right Fielder
Justin Upton

The first pick in the 2005 draft made it to the Diamondbacks in time to play in the 2007 NLCS. He broke out in 2009 and last year was one of the best players in the National League, displaying 31 homer power, 21 stolen base speed, an OPS of .898 and helped propel Arizona back into playoffs. He crushed 2 homers in the Division Series against Milwaukee.

Upton was born on August 25, 1987, 5 days before Moyer got roughed up by Atlanta in a 13-4 Cubs loss.


Designated Hitter
Jay Bruce

A key part in the Reds turnaround, Bruce was a consistent home run threat and an All Star in 2011. His walk off homer clinched the NL Central title for the Reds in 2010 and was one of the most dramatic moments in Reds history.

Bruce was born on April 3, 1987, 4 days before Moyer would throw 1/3 inning of relief for the Cubs in their 9-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.


Rotation

Clayton Kershaw

One of the most dynamic young pitchers in the game, Kershaw had dynamic stuff right out of the minor leagues. But everything came together in a magnificent 2011. He led the league in wins, ERA, strikeouts, WHIP and hits per nine innings and winning the Cy Young Award over favorites Roy Halladay, Tim Lincecum, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels.

Kershaw was born on March 19, 1988, just before Moyer was to begin his third season in the major leagues.


Tommy Hanson

A 22nd round draft pick, Hanson worked his way up the Braves system to become a mainstay in their rotation. He has a career 3.28 ERA over 460 1/3 innings pitched during his three years in Atlanta. Hanson started a game in the 2010 Division Series against the Giants.

Hanson was born on August 28, 1986, the day after Moyer lost a 7-1 game for the Cubs in Houston.


Jaime Garcia

Garcia finished third in the 2010 Rookie of the Year vote when he won 13 games to a 2.70 ERA for the Cardinals. He won 13 games the next year and started 5 games in the post season. He had a 1.80 in over 10 innings in the 2011 World Series.

Garcia was born on July 8, 1986, 2 days before Moyer lasted only 2/3 of an innings in the Cubs 11-4 loss to the Dodgers.


Jeremy Hellickson

After losing Matt Garza and many other key members to their pitching staff, the Rays needed to look within for the 2011 season. They found Jeremy Hellickson who went 13-10 with a 2.95 ERA over 189 innings. He won the Rookie of the Year and helped pitch the Rays to their third playoff berth in four years.

Hellickson was born on April 8, 1987, 5 days before Moyer pitched 8 strong innings, striking out 12 to win the game for the Cubs over the Phillies.


Daniel Hudson

Once a top prospect for the White Sox, Hudson flourished with the Diamondbacks in 2011. He won 16 games and logged 222 innings as Arizona made it back to the playoffs. He also batted .277 and won the Silver Slugger Award.

Hudson was born on March 9, 1987 as Moyer was in spring training getting ready for his second big league season.




Bullpen

Neftali Feliz

Another part of the terrific Mark Teixeira trade, Feliz became the Rookie of the Year in 2010 and clinched the Rangers first ever pennant. He closed out their second pennant the next year and came within a strike of clinching the World Series. At age 24, he has become one of the top closers in the game.

Feliz was born on May 2, 1988, the same day Jamie Moyer pitched 6 innings and got the win for the Cubs in Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego.


Aroldis Chapman

“The Cuban Missile” arrived on American shores with an arm that seemed super human. He averaged 12.8 strikeouts per inning pitched and has almost a 2 to 1 strikeout to walk ratio while hitting triple digits on the radar gun.

Chapman was born on February 28, 1988, just as Jamie Moyer was reporting to spring training after 2 seasons in the bigs.



Craig Kimbrel

Kimbrel was brought up to help the Braves during the stretch run in 2010 and his 17.4 strikeouts per 9 innings gave Atlanta an outstanding pen. The next year he kept up his dazzling numbers, saving 46, striking out 127 and walking only 32 in 77 innings. He won Rookie of the Year in 2011.

Kimbrel was born on May 28th, 1988, 4 days after Moyer pitched into the 10th inning of a hard luck 3-0 Cubs loss to the Atlanta Braves.



Ivan Nova

“The Super Nova” gave the Yankees an unlikely source of depth on the staff in 2011. After an unremarkable promotion in 2010, he received Rookie of the Year consideration in 2011, winning 16 games and throwing 165 1/3 innings. In the suspended Game 1 of the Division Series, Nova won the game with 6 1/3 effective relief innings.

Nova was born on January 12, 1987, after Moyer’s first season in the majors.


Vance Worley

With a team loaded with Cy Young contenders, Worley gave the 2011 Phillies outrageous pitching depth. He went 11-3 with a 3.01 ERA and gave the Phillies help with long relief as well.

Worley was born on September 25, 1987, two days after Moyer and the Cubs lost 5-0 to the Phillies in Wrigley Field


The Bench

Reserve Infielder
Starlin Castro

Castro became one of the elite shortstops in the game before he could legally buy a drink. A solid hitter with some pop, he finished 5th in the 2010 Rookie of the Year vote. The next year he made the All Star team while leading the league in hits. Off the field problems are already haunting him, but they are unresolved as of this writing.

The first big leaguer born in the 1990s, Castro was born on March 24, 1990 just as Moyer was beginning his second season with the Texas Rangers.


Reserve Infielder
Pedro Alvarez

The left handed power hitting third baseman provided some pop for the Pirates when he arrived in Pittsburgh during the 2010 season. His numbers tailed off during his second year in the Steel City but remains an important piece in the Pirates hopes for 2012 and beyond.

Alvarez was born on February 6, 1987, just as pitchers and catchers were reporting for Cubs spring training and Jamie Moyer was preparing for his second season.


Reserve Outfielder
Jason Heyward

The J-Hey Kid homered in his first at bat and became an instant fan favorite in Atlanta. He wound up hitting 18 homers posting a 131 OPS+ and finishing second in the Rookie of the Year vote as the Braves returned to the playoffs. He tailed off badly in his second year but remains a big reason for the Braves optimism for the years to come.

Heyward was born on August 9th, 1989 while Jamie Moyer was recovering from injuries. He would come back to the Rangers that September.


Reserve Outfielder
Austin Jackson

Acquired from the Yankees in the Curtis Granderson deal, Jackson gave the Tigers a solid centerfielder with speed and extra base power. He finished second in the 2010 Rookie of the Year vote. The next season he led the league in triples and played a key part in Detroit’s Division Title.

Jackson was born on February 1, 1987 as Moyer was preparing for his second big league season.


Reserve Catcher
Alex Avila

The All Star and Silver Slugger catcher had his breakout season in 2011, helping the Tigers win the Division and make it to the ALCS.

When Avila was born on January 29, 1987, Moyer had 7 career big league victories.


25th Man
Madison Bumgarner

There are several choices for the 25th man, but I am going with Bumgarner for the way he shone on the biggest stage. The 20 year old Bumgarner already showed he had great stuff for the 2010 Giants, but in Game 4 of the World Series he threw 8 shutout innings against the hard hitting Rangers to earn the victory and put San Francisco on the cusp of the title. He won 13 games and pitched to a 3.21 ERA over 204 2/3 innings in 2011 helping create an incredible 1-2-3 punch in the Giants rotation with Lincecum and Cain.

Bumgarner was born on August 1, 1989 as Moyer was rehabbing and a month before he returned to the Texas rotation on September 5th.



That is a solid 25 man roster with some other names left off.

Rick Porcello, Michael Pineda and Chris Volstad are all talented arms. Matt Moore has already had post season glory. Alicides Escobar and Gerardo Parra have had their moments. Mike Trout will probably become a big star.

And Colby Rasmus is in my doghouse, so forgive me if I went with 5 other outfielders.

And Jamie Moyer can come up to each of these players and say “Hey, I’ve been doing this longer than you’ve been on this Earth!”

Good luck Jamie.
I hope you get those 300 wins!

Selig's main requirement for a new Dodger owner: SIGN PUJOLS!

I don't believe in random events.
I don't believe in first causes.
I don't believe that actions take place in vacuums.

Even me typing this blog post is the result of a long chain reaction of events.

And a chain reaction of events could be conspiring to bring Albert Pujols to Dodger Stadium.
I have no evidence to back up these theories. But I still think it makes sense.

- Albert Pujols launches 3 home runs in one World Series game, putting him in World Series history with Reggie Jackson and Babe Ruth. And he helps spark one of the World Series saving rallies in Game 6. (The fact that he was basically a non factor in the other World Series games is forgotten by everyone.)

- Albert Pujols is a free agent... a perennial MVP candidate and one of the few marquee stars in the game. Plus he is a class act, free of scandal and has multiple rings in St. Louis. He's probably staying in St. Louis with his father figure, Tony LaRussa.

- LaRussa retires, ending his career with his crowning achievement. He can spend his days saving animals and writing his Cooperstown speech.

- SO Pujols has nothing left to prove in St. Louis. He can leave St. Louis on top and take on a new challenge and more money than any of us can ever dream of. ($30 million a year?)


Meanwhile in Los Angeles...

- The Dodgers fiasco might be finally grinding to a halt. Frank McCourt, in denial like William H. Macy's character in Fargo, might finally realize that he ISN'T just one deal away from keeping control of the team. MLB might take over the Dodgers. They did that once before with the Expos.

- This is a different scenario. That was saving a team from contraction and getting them to Washington DC. The Dodgers need to be lifted from the humiliation of bankruptcy and mismanagement. The Dodgers SHOULD be one of the glamorous franchises. And it would behoove baseball to have a big west coast superpower (sorry Giants fans. Your team isn't a superpower.)

- So if MLB takes over the Dodgers, they can hand pick whomever takes over the team. They will have to be committed to turn the Dodgers back into a powerhouse, make L.A. as baseball crazy as New York and Boston and bring some star power to Dodger Stadium.

- The Dodgers just HAPPENED to have a hole at first base (sorry James Loney). They just HAPPENED to have an MVP candidate to protect Pujols in the lineup with Matt Kemp. They just HAPPEN to play in a winnable division. (Sorry Diamondbacks.) And unless Juan Uribe has more pull than I thought, #5 just HAPPENS to be available in Los Angeles.

- The Dodgers also just HAPPEN to be a team in a desperate situation to have some positive press after all the off the field embarrassment. And they need something, besides a face who ISN'T Frank McCourt, to jumstart season ticket sales.

- If MLB can control who buys the Dodgers, they COULD make "Will you make a big push for Albert Pujols?" a requirement. It would be good for the franchise and could make the Dodgers a marquee franchise again.

Fans are going to show up in St. Louis. It's a new era there anyway.

Pujols (paired with NL MVP candidate Matt Kemp and Cy Young candidate Clayton Kershaw) could have his new challenge.

Bud Selig, someone NOT above colluding, could be in a unique position to handpick someone to bid on Pujols.

Where else is Albert going? Sure Theo Epstein wants to make a big splash with the Cubs, but he has to weed OUT big contracts before bringing in a new one. The Mets are a mess. And maybe the Marlins would make a run at him, but they are a dark horse at best.

Of course the Rangers, White Sox, Nationals and Orioles are never shy about throwing money around. But I can't see Albert going to any of those places.

The Dodgers are the most logical landing place in many ways.
It's a boost to the franchise.
It's a bump in West Coast baseball's interest.
And it could make Albert even more marketable than he is now.

Don't think this ISN'T going through Bud Selig's mind.
It's a chain reaction of events... and it could lead to the image of Albert Pujols playing first base for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

(For the record, I think Pujols is staying put... but you never know!)

The Dodgers could clean up on Off Season Awards

It's funny, everything about the Dodgers this year seems like a catastrophe.
The Brian Stowe incident at the beginning of the year helped lead to the unraveling of the ownership.

Are they bankrupt?
Does MLB control them?
Will the Chinese Government assume control of the Dodgers?

The only thing for certain is that Dodger Stadium is all but empty and their season is lost.

And despite all of that, the Dodgers could find themselves bringing in some hardware when the season is wrapped up.

They have one major award all but in the bag and a few more wins in the final week of the season could net some more.

CLAYTON KERSHAW...
Cy Young Award Winner

Both Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee deserve a lot of votes, especially for putting up stellar numbers in a pitchers ballpark.

And Ian Kennedy's emergence in Phoenix will get some voters attention.

But Kershaw is in line to win the unofficial Triple Crown (Wins, ERA and Strikeouts.) He has let up the fewest hits over 9 innings of any National League pitcher. His 0.99 WHIP is second only to Cole Hamel's 0.98 WHIP. And while I STILL don't understand WAR, he is tied with Cliff Lee with this highest WAR among National League pitchers.

Throw in his 5-0 record against the World Champion Giants (including winning 3 head to head match ups against Tim Lincecum) and he is all but a lock to win the Cy Young at age 23.


MATT KEMP...
National League Most Valuable Player

It's a taller mountain to climb for Kemp, but not because of his numbers.

His 9.0 WAR is the best in baseball.
He has the most total bases and run scored in the National League.
He is in the top 3 of Average, Home Runs, RBI and in the top 4 in OPS.

Only 5 sluggers in all of baseball have homered more than he has, and Chavez Ravine isn't the easiest place to crank them out.

While Ryan Braun might be the front runner, Kemp doesn't exactly have Prince Fielder in his lineup with him.

Plus he plays a Gold Glove caliber Centerfield. The Dodgers' non contending season could keep the MVP trophy off of his mantle, but I think he deserves is.


DON MATTINGLY...
National League Manager of the Year

OK, this one will be a stretch. Kirk Gibson has this all but locked up by sending a Diamondbacks team that NOBODY picked to the post season (assuming they don't fall apart.)

But give Mattingly tons of credit. This team had every reason to fold up tent and Donnie Baseball could have phoned this season in and NOBODY would have blamed him.

Instead, here they are with 9 games left and they are above .500!

Can you imagine if this team has a winning season? This was supposed to be the worst year in Dodger history and in terms of off the field stuff, it was. But in terms of the product on the field, it's not even the worst team of the last 2 years!

Mattingly deserves a ton of credit of focusing on the field and if he comes away with a winner, then the Dodgers have a bright future!

And by the looks of the potential hardware, their present was a lot better than anyone could have expected!

Things are more bleak for the Mets than the Dodgers

There were more players in uniform than fans in the stands in Dodger Stadium yesterday.

The team is a bankrupt embarrassment with a tabloid divorce looming over the team along with the Bryan Stowe beatings and its grotesque aftermath and MLB taking control of the team.



It sucks to be a Dodger fan.

It's worse to be a Mets fan.



I'll say it. The Dodger mess will be easier to fix.

If a new owner can be put into Los Angeles this off season, the good will in Dodgerland will come around the nanosecond the owner says "My name is NOT Frank McCourt."



The new owner will have a huge fan base eager to put their support behind the team.

AND they have a young MVP candidate in Matt Kemp and a young Cy Young candidate (and probable WINNER this year) in Clayton Kershaw.



Plus he plays in a Division where the Giants can pitch but can't hit, the Diamondbacks are great one year and bad the next, the Padres are great the other years and bad the next and the Rockies forget to contend before September.



In other words, the idea of being a power in the NL West isn't so far fetched. Just add competent ownership!



As for the Mets... well, their problems haven't featured obscene divorces and people in comas. But they HAVE had the biggest Ponzi Scheme in American History hamstring them.



And oh yeah, playing in the biggest media market in the country probably won't help them stumble to their third straight losing season.



And today we found out that David Einhorn, their great knight on a white steed, who was going to buy $200 million worth of the Mets and probably eventually take over the team and lead them to their greatest days ever, is saying "No Thanks."



The Wilpons are still in charge. The Phillies and Braves are still VASTLY superior. The Marlins have talent and will move into a new ballpark next year. The Nationals are developing talent and have the combination of Strasburg and Harper looming on the horizon.



What do the Mets have?

They have Jose Reyes' impending free agency where, once Albert Pujols comes off of the table, he will be the biggest available name.



They have David Wright who is a nice player but no longer a franchise player.

They have nice players like Dillon Gee, Ruben Tejada, Jonathon Niese, Mike Pelfrey and Daniel Murphy.



All nice players.

Not exactly franchise players. Not exactly great building blocks to go past the Phillies, who seem hell to win their 5th straight Division Title and 3 pennant in that same period of time, or the Braves who have stockpiled amazing young talent.



If the Dodgers and the Mets could combine like Voltron, they would be a terrific team. Kemp, Kershaw and maybe Reyes with some nice complimentary players.



But they aren't one team. They are two big budget flops for 2011.

For 2012 and beyond, things are brighter in LA.

Dodgers... lock up Clayton Kershaw NOW!

Look, I know the Dodgers are a mess right now.

Frank McCourt took one of the most glamorous and successful teams in baseball history and ran them into the ground.



I am not even sure if the Dodgers have the money to buy those plastic helmets for Ice Cream Sundaes anymore.



But somehow they need to find the money to sign Clayton Kershaw to a long term deal RIGHT NOW.



He hasn't been arbitration eligible yet so this season, that I think will earn him a Cy Young Award or at least SHOULD put one on his mantle, he will make $500,000.



A. J. Burnett will make 32 times that this year.



At age 23, this is Kershaw's second excellent season with the Dodgers and he can be a positive face on the team.



Well guess what?

Someday, and that day may come while I am typing this sentence, a new owner will take over the Dodgers. The new owner has a lot of work to do to restore the fans confidence, but not as much as you would think.



First of all the new owner needs to be better than Frank McCourt. That my friend is a low bar.



But they also need to put together a new positive identity for the team. And guess what? It might already be there.



The great eras in Los Angeles Dodgers history often are symbolized by a pitcher (or two.)

The 1960s Dodgers were best remembered for having Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale.



The Dodger teams of the 1970s had the amazing home grown infield of Garvey, Lopes, Russell and Cey. But they also had a future Hall of Famer in Don Sutton in the rotation. They also had Burt Hooton and the great Tommy John.



What player comes to mind when you think of the 1981 World Championship?

I am betting it will be Fernando Valenzuela and Fernando Mania.



How about 1988? OK, it is probably the Kirk Gibson home run.

But the REAL MVP was Orel Hershiser. Do the Dodgers beat the Mets OR the A's without Orel's 3 complete game victories (and a save)?



Even the 1995 Division is best remembered for Hideo Nomo's magical season.



Positive memories for the Dodgers begin with the identity making ace.



And Drysdale, Koufax, Sutton, Valenzuela, Hershiser and Nomo were all home grown Dodgers.

So if Kershaw.



If the Dodgers will turn it around, their home grown Cy Young winner will have a lot to do with it.



This isn't signing a 30 year old pitcher to a long term contract and seeing it blow up in your face.



This is taking a young player and making sure you have his prime locked up!



Sign him to a 6 year deal NOW! That way you know you have him for 10 seasons in a Dodger uniform. Probably will have a Cy Young on his mantle. He already has post season experience. And when the contract is up, he'll only be 30 years old!



Out of all the awfulness of this season, the one thing Dodger fans can even BEGIN to cling to is the obscure hope for a better tomorrow.



The Clayton Kershaw era could be what they are looking for.

Sign him now. Circumvent the arbitration and first round of Free Agency and say to Dodger fans "HERE is a player you can get attached to!"



After this year, the Dodgers OWE this to their fans.

Suck it up, Giants fans... this is your friend now

Remember how crappy it felt, Giants fans, when the Hum Babies lost a game despite letting up only one hit this week?

Remember how you ground your teeth to the gums knowing the Giants couldn't get a run off of Clayton Kershaw?

Well guess what? He's your best friend in the world now. Turn off all instincts of rooting against Los Angeles and supress any memories you have of the 1 hit loss.

Kershaw is following up his complete game shut out tomorrow with a game against Colorado... a team that is a more destructive freight train than anything Leonardo DiCaprio could subconsciously conjure in Inception.

The Giants need to be rooting with all of their heart for Kershaw to shut down the Rockies and to see the Dodgers show ANYTHING resembling heart.

It's time to be a Dodger fan, Giants fans... it may taste bad, but so does playing golf on October 5.

Hey! The Giants threw a one hitter!

Seriously, when a team in the heat of a pennant race keeps their archrival down to 1 hit an no earned runs, you've got to be happy, right?

Oh wait...
The Giants offense went away again and made Vin Scully mention Clayton Kershaw and Fernando Valenzuela in the same breath.

And oh yeah, suddenly the Padres remembered how to win.
Find those bats, Giants. Visit BALCO if you have to.

There's a pennant to win and 0 runs won't cut it.