Nearly 40, Moyer Is Coming of Age

Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times, commenting on junkball Mariner pitcher Jamie Moyer:

“He turns 40 in November, but he’s pitching as if he has found the secret to eternal youth. He’s baseball’s Dick Clark....

“Moyer is to baseball what Jason Kidd is to basketball. His pitches are as deceptive and on-the-money as Kidd’s no-look passes. He changes speeds like Kidd in the open court, like a Formula One car at Monte Carlo....

“Moyer is all dirty tricks. He’s G. Gordon Liddy with a glove.”

Trivia time: Byron Nelson holds the record for PGA Tour victories in one year with 18 in 1945. Who is the runner-up?

Wrong man to go? Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Tribune, writing before Don Baylor was fired by Chicago Cub President Andy MacPhail: “It sure would be nice to find out if MacPhail’s backbone is made of something stronger than marmalade. This is his $75-million payroll. He hired Baylor. He knew this was a manager who could relate to veterans. The veterans have let Baylor down.”

Seve’s decline: Seve Ballesteros, 45, the former Masters and British Open champion, has withdrawn from this year’s British Open. His game is apparently in shambles.

Comment from Jim McCabe of the Boston Globe: “ ... It’s probably a blessing that Ballesteros won’t be at Muirfield in a few weeks. The image of him making miraculous shot after miraculous shot and charging up the fairway a proud and majestic artist is one that should be preserved forever, not replaced by those hapless rounds that have become far too common.”

Not surprising: Eddie Sefko of the Houston Chronicle researched the names of golf courses in the U.S. and found that Riverside was the most popular choice.

“There are 23 Riverside Golf Courses available to the public. And this doesn’t even include private facilities,” he wrote. “Riverside far outdistanced Lakeside, which had 16 entries....

“And here’s a personal favorite from Florida--the Hombre, in Panama City. It’s got three nines--the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.”

Strip, but no tease: Comedy writer Alex Kaseberg in the San Francisco Chronicle: “After watching the World Cup, one of the many things I don’t understand about soccer is ripping off your shirt after a goal.

“We should pray this trend does not find its way to the Senior PGA Tour.”

Looking back: On this day in 1985, 17-year-old Boris Becker became the youngest champion and first unseeded player in the history of the men’s singles at Wimbledon with a 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 victory over Kevin Curren.

Looking back again: On this day in 1923, Cleveland, scoring in each of its eight at-bats, set an American League record for runs in a 27-3 victory over Boston.

Trivia answer: Ben Hogan, with 13, in 1946.

And finally: Jim Armstrong, writing on Alex Rodriguez in the Denver Post: “Let’s see if I got this straight. A-Rod, already making $25 million a year, got $100,000 for making the American League All-Star team?

“Let me guess. He’s going to be flown to the game in a private jet and will get frequent-flier miles for his troubles.”