MLB

Jamie Moyer, Ageless Wonder And Subject Of Old Man Sex Jokes, May Be Forced Into Retirement

47-year-old Jamie Moyer–whom, at this point, everyone simply expected to pitch forever–has been placed on the disabled list with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament and strained flexor pronator tendon in his left elbow, an injury that, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, may force him to close the book on his remarkable 24 year career.

If the injury to Moyer’s ulnar collateral ligament is severe enough, he would require Tommy John surgery, for which the rehabilitation process takes approximately one year.  Were Moyer to receive surgery immediately, this would mean that he would likely return to the field–assuming a complete recovery–at either the end of next season at the earliest, or, more realistically, at the beginning of the 2012 season.

Moyer would be 49 in 2012, and even for the bionic man himself, this type of comeback would be ambitious.

Moving forward, the loss of Moyer, even beyond the sentimental reasons (truly, the Jamie Moyer story is an inspiring, fun story for all fans), comes as a real blow to the Phillies.  Before the injury, Moyer was, as GM Ruben Amaro Jr. put it, “a pleasant surprise after not being in [the] rotation last year at the end,” posting a 9-9 record with a 4.84 ERA in 19 starts.  And with Moyer’s departure from the rotation–a rotation that has been mediocre even with the presence of ace Roy Halladay–there is now even more pressure on Philadelphia to acquire an arm before the July 31st deadline.

But whatever happens to Philadelphia–and truly we couldn’t care one way or the other–regardless, we hope that Moyer gets a more optimistic second opinion.