Jamie Moyer, the 47-year old starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, has long been a favorite player of mine. He’s a gentleman, a philanthropist, and an active parent in the lives of his seven children. In his many years with the Seattle Mariners, I never saw him lose his cool. He was respected by umpires, hitters, and other pitchers. All of this happened after he was released from the Red Sox in 1996. He was 33 and believed to be at the end of his career. Hah!

That man learned to deliver pitches that made it to the plate with the speed of a tortoise. He fooled great hitters regularly. Now 47, he pitched a three-hit shutout against the Braves on May 8. Seriously. At 47, as one of the oldest players in baseball — so old he’s pitched against the sons of players he faced at the start of his career; so old that many of the people he throws against (and with), weren’t born when he started his career.

How long can Jamie Moyer pitch? Or at least pitch effectively? Who knows. Satchel Paige confused big leaguers in five different decades. At the end of his career, it wasn’t a regular thing — stunts by owners, occasional stints in the minor leagues. Then again, he relied on a fast ball, where Moyer just plain fools batters. Often badly. That’s less stress on his arm. Indeed, he missed the end of last season for surgery — but on his groin and abdomen, not his arm. So maybe Moyer will pitch for another few years.

Isn’t it great? Forty-seven is the new 30. As someone on the brink of 46, that makes me very happy.