After a 2008 season in which he led the Phillies in wins and win pct. and won a World Series for his hometown team, no one would have blamed a soon-to-be 46 year old Jamie Moyer from retiring from the game he’d been playing for over 2 decades.

Instead, the Phillies ageless lefty expressed a desire to continue pitching, and he doubled down by searching for a two-year contract for his services.

On Dec. 11, just a month and change after the World Series triumph, David Murphy reported that Jamie Moyer was being courted by the Milwaukee Brewers. It was one of the few reports linking Moyer to a team other than the Phils.

On Dec. 15, Moyer agreed to a 2 year, $13 million deal with the Phils.

At the time, it seemed like a lot to pay for a back of the rotation starter who would be on the verge of 48 at the end of the contract.

By the end of last June, a 6.05 ERA and several really ugly starts (including a 2.1 inning 7 run drubbing at the hands of the Mets), that 2 years and $13 million seemed like a really bad idea. Moyer was maintaining his standing as the staff Yoda that the likes of Cole Hamels and J.A. Happ would gravitate to, but $13 million is a lot of money for Rich Dubee’s assistant.

Jamie’s second half performance improved, as he posted a 6-4 record and a 3.78 ERA before his season was ended by a nasty groin injury on September 29.

In between the wins and losses, Moyer was also at the center of rotation drama when he was moved to the bullpen to make way for future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez. Moyer was less than pleased with the decision, and made his opinion known in a media session with reporters while the Phils were at Wrigley Field for a series against the Cubs.

The 2009 offseason gave fans and pundits alike tons of time to second guess Moyer’s contract as well as weighing in on the likelihood that Souderton’s favorite son would even contribute in 2010 to earn some of that remaining contract.

A funny thing has happened on the way to the 2010 season for Mr. Moyer – he actually pitched his ass off in spring training (11.2 IP, 0.77 ERA, 12 K, 0 BB). So much so that it is all but certain that he will be named the fifth starter for the Phillies over Kyle Kendrick, who also pitched very well (19.2 IP, 1.37 ERA).

Which brings us back to Ruben Amaro Jr., who’s impressive first year as the Phillies GM has been perceived as marred by an unnecessarily expense contract to an aging pitcher who no one else seemed particularly interested in giving a 2 year contract to after the 2008 season.

Should Moyer’s impressive spring training translate into a solid 2010 campaign that resembles 2007 and 2008 more than it does 2009, Ruben’s decision to give Jamie those 2 years may need a second look. There is still time for Jamie to prove that Amaro’s faith in December 2008 was justified – that a 47 year old lefty with fastballs that look like changeups can still get major league talent to swing and miss on a team that has championship aspirations again.

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The Shibe Times will get the opportunity to OD on Phillies baseball in the first 2 weeks of the season, as we head to 4 Phils games – the 4/2 exhibition against the Pirates (Mrs. Shibe Times is a Steel City native), the 4/5 opener in DC, the 4/12 home opener and what I hope will be Roy Halladay’s first Citizens Bank start on 4/17.

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I received an email from Tucker Wolfe, who’s father, Rich, put together a great book about Harry Kalas not long after the Phillies Hall of Famer broadcaster passed away last year. Wolfe is compiling stories for another book about the Phillies and is interested in stories from the average fan. If you have any ideas, shoot him an email at tuckerwolfe@gmail.com. They are running short on time before deadline, so don’t delay.