Musings about Moyer

A few thoughts about the utterly ancient Jamie Moyer, who just outdueled the equally elderly Greg Maddux ...

- Did you know Jamie Moyer is 5th on the All-Time Home Runs Allowed list?

- Did you know Jamie Moyer has given up more home runs than any other left-handed pitcher in baseball history?

- Do you realize the four pitchers who have given up more home runs (Roberts, Jenkins, Neikro, and Sutton) are Hall of Famers?

- Did you know because of Jamie Moyer, you can connect 23-year old Phillie pitcher Kyle Kendrick to a player who started his career in 1899 in 7 degrees?

- Kendrick to Jamie Moyer (Phillies 2007-present)

- Moyer to Nolan Ryan (Rangers 1989-90)

- Ryan to Ken Boyer (1966 Mets)

- Boyer to Murry Dickson (Cardinals 1956-57)

- Dickson to Lyn Lary (Cardinals 1939)

- Lary to George Burns (not the actor) (Yankees 1929)

- Burns to Sam Crawford (Tigers 1914), who started his career in 1899.

Wow.

Back to the subject of home runs for a moment.

How are only three pitchers from the "steroid era" in the top 15 in all-time home runs (Moyer, David Wells, and Randy Johnson)? Weirder still, how are all three are left-handed?

(Wow, that is a poorly written second question. "How are all three left-handed?" Because they throw with their left hand. That's "how" they are left-handed. What I was trying to say is how have three left-handed pitchers who pitched most of their career in the "steroid era" given up more home runs than any right-handed pitcher? I thought lefties are supposedly harder to hit.)