News
Anderson quite familiar with Moyer
Atlanta (1-0) at Philadelphia (0-1), Tuesday, 7:05 p.m. ET
By Mark Bowman / MLB.com
04/06/09 1:13 AM ET
While preparing to face Jamie Moyer and the Phillies on Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park, the Braves might want to ask their left fielder for some advice.Moyer's career, which began three months before Braves center fielder Jordan Schafer was born, has spanned three decades and included 584 starts. During this long span, he's never faced an opposing batter more than Garret Anderson, who has batted .317 with five homers in 107 career plate appearances against the 46-year-old southpaw.
Before coming to Atlanta to begin his tenure as the Braves left fielder this year, Anderson spent the first 15 seasons of his career with the Angels. This provided him regular opportunities to face Moyer, who spent 11 seasons with the Mariners before making his way back to his hometown of Philadelphia.
"When you've faced a guy that many times, there's a sense of familiarity for both guys," Anderson said. "I don't think it really gives anybody an advantage. There's no doubt that you gain a mutual respect for each other."
Since signing Anderson on Feb. 22, the Braves have certainly gained an enhanced level of respect for Anderson, whose quiet demeanor has allowed him to fly under the radar during a career that has included 2,368 hits.
Unfortunately for Anderson, his early days with the Braves were marred with a right calf strain that sidelined him for a little more than three weeks. But after returning to action during the final week of Spring Training, he once again started to draw praise from manager Bobby Cox, who pushed hard for his club to sign the veteran outfielder.
"I've really only seen him take one half-bad swing since he started playing again," Cox said. "I've always loved his swing and he can cover a lot of ground out in the outfield. He moves gracefully out there."
Anderson was limited to an infield single during Sunday night's 4-1 season-opening win over the Phillies. But Cox noticed that the benefit of having his bat in the middle of his lineup.
"I think he means a lot to a lineup," Cox said. "He's a very imposing guy up there."
Coming off a season during which their outfielders totaled just 27 homers, the Braves were looking to add some power to their outfield mix. While Anderson won't supply the same kind of power that he did during the early years of this decade, he should supply enough to sufficiently compliment the totals supplied by Jeff Francoeur and Jordan Schafer.
Coming off a frustrating 2008 season, Francoeur opened this season by hitting the first pitch he saw over the left field wall. Two batters later, Schafer became just the fourth player in franchise history to homer during his first at-bat.
Pitching matchupATL: RHP Jair Jurrjens (13-10, 3.68 ERA)
Coming off a strong rookie season, Jurrjens will attempt to prove that his advanced cerebral approach to pitching will help him make the adjustments that will help him avoid a sophomore slump. The 22-year-old right-hander ranked fourth in the National League with .53 homers allowed per nine innings. This provides better reason to understand why he allowed just two earned runs in 15 2/3 innings he pitched at Citzens Bank Park. While not enjoying equal success during matchups at Turner Field, he went 1-2 with a 3.33 ERA in four starts against the Phillies. PHI: LHP Jamie Moyer (16-7, 3.71 ERA in 2008)
Moyer turned 46 in November, but he keeps on going. He threw 196 1/3 innings last season, which he capped by picking up the win when the Phillies clinched their second consecutive National League East championship. He became the fourth pitcher in the modern era to win 10 games in a season he started as a 45-year-old. The others were Phil Niekro (1984-86), Satchel Paige (1952) and Jack Quinn (1929). Tidbits
Francoeur was just 2 years old when Moyer made his Major League debut. But with 24 plate appearances against the lefty, he owns the second-highest total among Braves players. ... Tom Glavine will pitch in an intrasquad game with Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday. The 43-year-old southpaw is scheduled to make his regular-season debut on April 18 against the Pirates. ... The Phillies won 14 of the first 16 games played against the Braves last year. But the Braves have now won three straight against the Phils and each of the games have been in Philadelphia. Tickets
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• Wednesday: Braves (Javier Vazquez, 12-16, 4.67 ERA in 2008) at Phillies (Joe Blanton, 9-12, 4.69 in 2008), 3:05 p.m. ET
• Thursday: Off-day
• Friday: Braves (Derek Lowe, 1-0, 0.00 in 2009) vs. Nationals (Shairon Martis, 1-3, 5.66 in 2008), 7:30 p.m. ET
Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
