The Slanch Report

Max Scherzer made his debut last week for the Arizona Diamondbacks, snapping off 98 mph fastballs and filthy breaking balls en route to retiring the first 13 batters he faced, 7 of whom via the strikeout. After such an amazing introduction to the league, the Dbacks announced after that game that he would make his first start last night. On paper it seemed like quite the strange matchup, Max Scherzer, 23 years old, just a year after he was drafted up to start a game for the first-place Dbacks, career record 0-0, against Jamie Moyer, owner of 558 starts and a 231-158 lifetime record, age 45.

 VS.

Moyer throws in the high 70s when he’s on, which is roughly equivalent to how fast I can throw the ball. However, he works with pinpoint command and changes speeds very effectively so major league hitters somehow are unable to catch up to his various junk balls. Regardless, the baseball world was excited for this game and it was not to see Moyer’s 60 mph curve. No the interest was reserved for the fireballer who was born 2 years before Moyer made his MLB debut against Steve Carlton.  

Of course, since these games aren’t played on paper, Jamie Moyer not only outdueled the young rookie on the mound, but even managed to tag him for a couple of hits, a single and a double and an RBI. “I thought he was going to go for the cycle there for a while,” Charlie Manuel the Phillies manager quipped after the game; and why not, it’s not too often you see the oldest player in the majors catch up and scald a 94 MPH fastball into the gap.

Unfortunately for Scherzer, the Phillies came into this game with two of the hottest hitters in baseball and leading the majors in homers, and they showed no signs of letting up just because of the hype. After a 4-run 3rd inning, the Dbacks never had a chance to get back into the game, and as Scherzer’s pitch count climbed it was clear on this night he was beaten. Interestingly, nearly exactly a year ago, Tim Lincecum, a similarly hyped young power pitcher debuted, also against the Phillies and he had a similar game as Scherzer’s getting battered around by the big hitters of the Phils. Maybe MLB teams should avoid debuting their prospects against the Phillies…

So, for one day at least, age beat youth, craftiness beat power and Jamie Moyer cruised 7 innings with only 6 hits to his 232 career victory. It seems win number 1 will have to wait another few days for Mr. Scherzer.

One other interesting thing about Max Scherzer, he has two different colored eyes which is both really cool and really terrifying to look at. Check it out!

and after the jump, one more fun one just for kicks–