Jamie Moyer is shocked, shocked to find gambling going on in this establishment. When confronted with the decision that he would be removed from the Phillies starting rotation to make room for Pedro Martinez, Moyer responded in a most un-Moyer like fashion.

“I’m a little disheartened [about the decision the Phillies have made] because this past winter when I was negotiating with the Phillies this was a sore thumb, if you will, about this potentially happening.

“You can’t promise anything in this game, but I really felt that Ruben (Amaro Jr.) parlayed to me that this type of situation would not happen. Actually, even had some discussion with David (Montgomery) with them reassuring me that this type of situation wouldn’t happen. Again, I’m a little disheartend by the way it’s happened, how it’s happened. We’re still in first place. I probably feel like I haven’t contributed as well as I could have, but I think if you go around to the other 24 players on our club they would probably say the same type of thing.”

Really Jamie? You didn’t see this coming? You had no idea you were going to be bumped from the rotation considering you have the worst ERA on the team and allowed 11 hits in just five innings against a team that has only been able to figure you out twice in your incredibly long career? Not only is Moyer’s ERA the worst on the Phillies, it is the second worst among starting pitchers in the majors, and dead last (49th) amongst pitchers who have pitched enough to qualify for the ERA title.

If not Jamie, then who? The rookie J.A. Happ, who leads the team in ERA and is a top contender for NL Rookie of the Year? Perhaps Joe Blanton, who has done nothing but get the Phillies wins and innings (something Moyer has been unable to do all season) since coming over from Oakland last season? Perhaps Cole Hamels, who despite a subpar season, is still considered the ace of this team and was the NLCS and World Series MVP last October? Oh, clearly it should have been Cliff Lee, the reigning Cy-Young award winner and one of the top five pitchers in the National League.

Come on Jamie. Shocked, shocked to find gambling going on in this establishment.

“I’m really not happy with this decision that the Phillies have made,” moyer said, sitting in the stands behind the first-base dugout of Wrigley Field before the series opener against the Cubs on Tuesday. “I will take what they’ve asked me to do, but I’m not really excited about the decision that has been made.”

He should have stopped there. That quote would have been perfect. It would have been vintage Moyer, or at least vintage the Moyer we all thought exsisted. We want him to be dissapointed, to be upset, to be angry with what happened. Because you know what, we’re all dissapointed, upset and angry it happened too. We want Moyer to be a competitor who wants to be out on the mound. We also want him to understand why the move was made and accept it. We want him to show the team he belongs in the starting rotation first by pitching like it, and absent that, being prepared to jump in at a moment’s notice.

Moyer did a lot for the Phillies the past couple seasons, mentoring guys like Hamels and Happ and Myers. He helped the Phillies win just their second World Series in team history.

The Phillies did a lot for Jamie Moyer too. They brought Moyer back out of obscurity, where he was languishing for years in Seattle. They made him a winner. They made him into a great baseball story. It’s not all one sided.

And neither is this move. Moyer complains that the Phillies are not living up to their end of the contract; that they promised him this would not happen, that he would stay a starter. But Moyer did not live up to his end of the contract either. 10-9/5.47 ERA/148 hits/123.1 IP

I’m shocked, shocked to find gambling going on in this establishment.