The mission of The Moyer Foundation is to offer encouragement, comfort and support to children enduring a time of profound emotional, physical or financial distress and provide opportunities for enhancing overall wellness, stability and quality of life.

Since its inception, The Moyer Foundation has raised over $20 million to help support more than 225  different programs that help children in distress in a variety of ways.

To learn more about The Moyer Foundation or make a donation to support one of their programs, please visit them online at The Moyer Foundation.

Head on over to the Hallofverygood.com for a short Q&A with Jamie Moyer.

I saw him pitch in person against the Chisox a few weeks back and will say he was quite impressive (10 K’s in six innings).  It’s too early to tell, but this kid may be the real deal.  As a die hard O’s fan, it’s sad to think I’d have to travel 45 minutes to the south to see something exciting, but that’s the reality.  As for my opinion on whether he should have been selected to the team?  His record-breaking start certainly had some people saying he should have been added to the NL team, but his body of work was too limited in my opinion.  One could make a case however that past All Star members have participated in too few games as a result of injury and still been selected.

In any case, I think it’s safe to say two things.  One, the ratings would have been off the chart if he started the game.  Two,  The Washington Nationals were probably happy that he wasn’t selected.  In the end, this is just another goal for Strasburg to work toward in 2011.

I know it sounds dramatic, but after giving up 506 home runs, I wanted this Jamie Moyer post to begin with something other than “Moyer continues to defy Father Time” and “with every start Moyer eclipses another milestone”.

The last time, the 47 year-old faced the Blue Jays was one year ago to the day…June 28, 2009. In that game, he gave up three dingers with two of them coming off the bat of second baseman Aaron Hill.

It is fitting that Moyer gave up home run number 506 against Toronto. Prior to the third inning bomb by Wells, the Philadelphia Phillies hurler had given up 40 career homers against the Jays…the second most by any of his opponents.

If you’re curious how the rest of Moyer’s record home runs shake out, check out what I wrote last week after he tied Hall of Famer Robin Roberts atop the all-time leaderboard.

Ten Things About Jamie Moyer’s 505 Home Runs

Reasons to say YES.

• The NL wants home field advantage for the WS and Strasburg may be one of the best pitchers in the league at this point in time giving the NL their best chance.
• He might get the most votes.
• More fans will be watching than ever before.

Reasons to say NO.

• He has had only 4 starts.
• Unfair to other pitchers who have had more innings pitched and the “stats” to be on the roster.
• Those who are already missing the team and deserve to play include; Tim Hudson, Mike Pelfrey, Roy Halladay, Jamie Moyer, Josh Johnson, Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Jaime Garcia, Yovanni Gallardo, Carlos Silva, Mat Latos, Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Barry Zito, Clayton Kershaw and Ubaldo Jimenez.
• Strasburg will most likely be an All-Star throughout his entire career. He just needs to let his career begin first.
• Charlie Manual is against it!

Will Strasburg be an All-Star? Keep voting and we’ll find out Sunday.

The other team “gunning” for Lee is the Minnesota Twins – who are looking to offer catcher Wilson Ramos. The Mariners have let those of interest know that catching is a high priority on their wish list.

Who will offer the sweetest deal to land Lee? Imagine the possibilities of Lee in the NL East and what he could do for the New York Mets.

In last night’s game against the Chicago Cubs, Lee threw a complete game striking out nine batters and walking none. Lee took over the American League ERA lead at 2.39 after his performance.

Phillies and Braves-its time to be concerned.

That may be because they were actually brothers!  Dandy was created by the same couple who created and introduced the infamous Philadelphia Phillies mascot – The Philly Phanatic.

The Yankees wanted to match the success of the Philly Phanatic and “Dandy” was debuted in 1979. However his career only lasted approximately 3 years while making an embarrassing $40 per game and being shoved to only entertain in the upper deck.

So who caused the demise of Dandy? Who other than Lou Piniella -current manager of the Chicago Cubs.

While playing left field against the Seattle Mariners, the visiting San Diego Chicken was teasing Yankees pitcher Ron Guidry.  Out of rage, Lou Piniella chased down the chicken and whipped his glove drilling the mascot and almost knocking him over.

His act of frustration hit the headlines and Yankees George Steinbrenner declared to the media that mascots do not belong in baseball, this just two weeks before Dandy’s debut.

Thanks George!

Dandy started performing in the upperdeck as the Yankees management did not want his kind anywhere near the field. After 3 disasterous seasons Dandy’s contract was never renewed and the mascot was gone forever.

He was the “entertainer of the nosebleed section” and for that he will always be remembered.

Sources: http://gothamist.com/2010/06/15/remembering_dandy_the_doomed_yankee.php

http://www.nesn.com/2010/06/the-story-of-the-long-forgotten-yankees-mascot-dandy.html

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You see, the solo home run that Branyan hit Tuesday night was the 505th given up by Moyer…tying him with Hall of Famer Robin Roberts for the most home runs allowed in Major League Baseball history.

For Moyer, it all started June 16, 1986 with a win against the Philadelphia Phillies. A week later, those same Phillies would take on the Moyer’s Cubs again. Early on, Juan Samuel would send a first inning offering deep for what would be the first of many, many home runs hit against the veteran lefty.

And just how many home runs is 505?

Well…if Moyer accomplished the feat as a hitter, he would be sandwiched between Hall of Famer Eddie Murray (504 career bombs) and Gary Sheffield (509) on the all-time list. He’d have outslugged legends Lou Gehrig (493) and Stan Musial (475).

But as it is, the Phillies pitcher has never hit one out (zero home runs in 24 seasons), but he’s given up a quarter ton. Here are ten things you might not have known about Jamie Moyer’s date with history.

1386
Born November 17, 1962, Jamie Moyer is the only active player that can tell you where he was when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Nearly four years (or 1386 days) after Moyer was born, Robin Roberts, then with the Chicago Cubs, gave up his 505th and final home run to Willie Stargell.

322
Over the span of Moyer’s 24 year career, he’s been touched up by 322 different batters. By comparison, Roberts gave up his 505 home runs to only 209 different batters. But who victimized Moyer the most? That honor belongs to right handed slugger Manny Ramirez…who has hit ten home runs against Moyer. Among left handed batters, Carlos Delgado (eight home runs) is the leader and for switch hitters…Bernie Williams (seven) holds the distinction. A fun fact about those 322 batters that Moyer has given up gopher balls to, they carry with them birthdates ranging from 1949 (Mike Schmidt) to 1986 (Chris Davis). Last month, Moyer faced the youngest player in the Majors, Starlin Castro (born March 24, 1990), but did not give up a home run to him. Yet.

221
For his career, Jamie Moyer has given up a home run during five different presidential administrations…the most being 221 during the 2001-2008 run of George W. Bush. The other presidents that occupied the White House while Moyer toed the rubber…Ronald Reagan (58 home runs), George Bush (21), Bill Clinton (164) and, of course, Barack Obama (41 and counting).

63
On April 22, Moyer faced off against All-World slugger Jason Heyward and his Atlanta Braves. The veteran would get the better of the rookie, striking him out once in the three times they met. But since this same “ten things” treatment was given to Heyward after he went yard in his first at bat, it is appropriate to point out that Moyer had already given up 63 home runs before the “J-Hey Kid” was born August 9, 1989.

44
In 2004, Moyer, at 41, posted a 7-13 record and a 5.21 ERA. To top off what was, arguably, one of his worst seasons, he would also give up a career high 44 home runs. In back to back starts against the Yankees in May, Alex Rodriguez went deep for three of his six career home runs against the left-hander.

42
When consider that Moyer has given up home runs to all 30 Major League teams (and yes, that includes the Montreal Expos AND Washington Nationals and all three incarnations of the California/Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels), it is no surprise that he has allowed home runs in 42 different ballparks (259 at home and 246 on the road). The five stadiums that played host to the most home runs are, not surprisingly, places that called Moyer home…Safeco Field (89 home runs), CitizensBank Park (54), Camden Yards (47), Kingdome (38) and Wrigley Field (36).

7
An amazing stat when you look at the 505 home runs that Moyer has given up is this…295 of them were solo shots. On the flip side of the coin, only seven of them were with the bases juiced. Moyer gave up his first grand slam to Craig Paquette in May 1997…his most recent was in August 2004.

6
As mentioned, 322 batters have gone deep off Moyer. Five of them (Mike Schmidt, Wade Boggs, Paul Molitor, Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr.) are currently in the Hall of Fame. A sixth, Andre Dawson, will be joining them in Cooperstown next month.

2
To say Jamie Moyer spans generations would be an understatement. Over his 24 year career, he has given up home runs to two father/son combos. In 1994, he gave up a home run to Cecil Fielder…14 years later, Cecil’s son Prince took Moyer deep for the first of his two career home runs. Similarly, Moyer has also given up home runs to both Tony Penas…Senior in 1993 and Junior in 2007. And if you were curious about siblings, only the Molinas (Bengie and Jose) have taken Moyer yard.

1
Only once, has Jamie Moyer been the victim of a walk-off home run. On June 24, 2004, the Texas Rangers infielder Alfonso Soriano spoiled Moyer’s only relief appearance with a two run blast in the bottom of the 18th inning. Soriano is also, coincidentally, one of only 15 batters to have lead off a game against Moyer with a home run.

Moyer’s next start looks to be Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays. Over the span of his career, he has given up 40 homers against the Jays and 22 of them have come north of the border.

The last time, the 47 year-old faced the Blue Jays was June 28, 2009…almost one calendar year from this upcoming start. In that game, he gave up three dingers with two of them coming against second baseman Aaron Hill.

Article from HallofVeryGood.com written by Shawn Anderson.

The premier national wiffle organizations of Golden Stick Wiffle League (GSWL) and Big League Wiffle Ball (BLWB) unleash their seasons this week. Professional players honed their skills in the off season in preparation for tournament play.

Lou Levesque, President of GSWL, is dead serious about the level of competition in his tournaments. “We’ve got guys pitching 80 mph drop curves with .350 batting averages. Only the best are going to make it to Vegas.” In Michael Hermann’s Ultimate Guide to Wiffle Ball, Levesque is credited to have “truly made wiffle go pro.”

The Golden Stick National Championship is scheduled for the first weekend in November. Regional champions from Golden Stick leagues across the country get an all-expenses paid trip to Las Vegas to play for the National Golden Stick Title. Thousands of dollars are at stake.

GSWL draws from a variety of regions. Massachusetts and New York established East Coast dominance. St. Louis, Philadelphia, Vermont, and Sacramento are organized and contending. “We’re tapping into the pro player inside of everybody,” Levesque says.

One gets a sense when meeting wiffle players that this statement is 100% accurate. They’re dead serious about the game. It possesses a culture all its own that revolves around the art and science of making a tiny plastic ball with eight holes on one side appear to break the laws of physics. The level of competition has skyrocketed in the last decade while the mainstream remains highly unaware of this professional sport which consumes American backyards and ball parks every summer.

Adam Trotta, member of the legendary team named DOOM, took a full-time position with Golden Stick this year. Levesque states of Trotta, “He brings a lot of value to the organization. DOOM is credited with more than 100 wiffle tournament wins. Someone with his skill and experience is a phenomenal addition.”

Big League Wiffle Ball specializes in a medium pitch speed format. Nick Benas, co-owner of BLWB, says, “By limiting pitching speeds we optimize action. There’s more hitting, more action in the field. Scuffed balls still cause the notorious wiffle movement during pitching, but the limited speed adds excitement to the game.” Pitch speeds are limited to 35 mph and monitored with random radar checks.

Benas and his business partner, Jared Verrillo, run a wiffle homerun derby at Fenway Park in Boston every year, manage the wiffle ball program for the Connecticut Nutmeg State Games, and sponsor tournaments across the country.

Fast Plastic no longer sponsors tournaments, but GSWL and BLWB haven’t seen a decrease in wiffle action or interest. Benas says, “If anything, guys like Lou Levesque absorbed FastPlastic’s marketshare and the pool of fast pitch players that evaporated with the end of Fast Plastic tournaments. People want to play competitively. We’re here to make sure that serious wiffle players have an opportunity to compete at the highest level for the highest pay.”

Levesque agrees. “GSWL is not about family feel or grilling out. We bring the best wiffle competition there is. Owners of my Golden Stick teams are born of successful players which brings unprecedented value to my tournaments.”

Don’t be surprised if you see a group of wiffle ball players practicing at your local park. They’re probably gearing up for a local tournament. They’re one team in thousands that are elevating their game for high stakes competition in the evolving sport of Professional Wiffle Ball.

Photos courtesy of Lou Levesque of Golden Stick Wiffle League.

The Nationals have said they will most likely take  Harper with the No. 1 pick in today’s First-Year Player Draft.

Harper completely skipped his Junior and Senior year of  High School and enrolled at College of Southern Nevada Junior College to ultimately become eligible for the draft as soon as possible.

Is 17 too soon for Major League Baseball? I guess we’ll find out a bit sooner than we thought. Good luck Bryce!

Once again this is a teaching moment for kids, adults, and athletes alike. Jim Joyce and Armando Galarraga handled this with impeccable class. It was a play that revealed a mistake upon further review, one that cost a perfect game that has only been accomplished 20 times in history previously (although twice recently…which some can argue is the another reason Selig is standing firm on not overturning this call).

This by no means is anywhere near the enormity of the BP spill or any other current issues the human population is facing, but it is a fixable error.

Let’s reward Galarraga and Joyce for handling this the right way. Let’s mark a place in time where we can show our kids that handling things in a positive manner has its rewards. I’m sure that Galarraga and Joyce will move on from this, but maybe we have an opportunity at something bigger here. Hopefully this capsule will stimulate some serious thought and discussion on this topic. Either way, this moment will forever be etched in my mind.

The picture of Galarraga standing at first with his grin after the safe call will be there forever. A simple moment in time that is so symbolic…..to err is human, how you handle that individually is what is more important. A tip of the hat to both Jim Joyce and Armando Galarraga.