Jamie Moyer to Throw Out Ceremonial First Pitch on Opening Night
Jamie Moyer, the winningest pitcher in Seattle Mariners history, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Night, Monday, April 8, when the Mariners take on the Houston Astros. Game time is 7:10pm. Pregame ceremonies will start at approximately 6:30pm.
Moyer, who played 11 years with the Mariners (1996-2006), won 145 games and holds Mariners records for games started (323), innings pitched (2093.0), batters faced (8802) and fewest walks per nine innings pitched (2.253). He is third in win percentage (.625), and is tied for sixth in shutouts with 6.
Moyer was the Mariners Most Valuable Pitcher four times (1998, 1999, 2001, 2003), twice won 20 or more games (20 games in 2001, 21 wins in 2003), was an All-Star (2003), and was the starting pitcher for the Inaugural Game at Safeco Field on July 15, 1999. He was the Mariners Opening Day starter in 2000, 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Moyer also received numerous awards for his philanthropy and community service including the Roberto Clemente Award, the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award and the Hutch Award, all in 2003, and the Branch Rickey Award in 2004. Jamie and his wife Karen founded the Moyer Foundation in 2000 to "serve the needs of children in distress."
Moyer was best known for control and mixing his five main pitches - sinker, cut fastball, slider, changeup and curveball - to keep hitters off balance.
Moyer was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 6th round of the 1984 amateur player draft. He made his Major League debut on June 16, 1986, with a win over the Philadelphia Phillies and starting pitcher Steve Carlton. He was acquired by the Mariners in 1996 in a mid-season trade that sent outfielder Darren Bragg to the Boston Red Sox. Moyer has played for eight Major League teams (Chicago Cubs 1986-88; Texas Rangers 1989-90; St. Louis Cardinals 1991; Baltimore Orioles 1993-1995; Boston Red Sox 1996; Mariners 1996-2006; Philadelphia Phillies 2006-2010; Colorado Rockies 2012), and won a World Series Championship in 2008 with the Phillies.
Single-game tickets for the 2013 Mariners season go on sale Saturday, March 16 at 10am. Fans can register for a special online pre-sale opportunity to buy tickets on March 14, two days before they go on sale to the general public. Log onto mariners.com/register to sign up for the pre-sale.