My Jamie Moyer story

The spring of 1986 was my first spring season at the college level.  We started the year like most northern programs by going south to Florida for spring training.  A new head coach, about 30 players, a trainer, and a few parents made the trip along with our brand new pitching coach … Jamie Moyer.  Yep, that’s right.  TheJamie Moyer was our pitching

coach during our southern trip that year.  

The new head coach at Villanova that year was George Bennett who also happened to be Jamie Moyer’s college coach at St. Joe’s University a few years earlier.  To get out of the cold and get a head start on his upcoming pro season, Jamie came to Florida with us to workout before heading off to the Chicago Cubs spring training.  We did not have a pitching coach at the time so Jamie was it!  Jamie was a minor leaguer at the time and was still a year away from making his major league debut.  

I learned a lot from him by listening and watching him go about his business.  There is, however, one moment that stands out in my mind.  During one of our games, a ball was hit foul down the left line into the corner.  The umpire said “let it go!” and gave another ball to the pitcher.  Since we were on that side of the field, it was our team’s job to get the foul ball.  Like many high school and college dugouts, nobody moved to get the ball.  Except Jamie.  Jamie jumped up off the bench and sprinted (yes, sprinted!) all the way down the line and retrieved the ball.  I remember our coach turning to our dugout and saying “that’s why he’ll play in the major leagues some day.“

And at 49 years old, boy did he ever.