Two Phillies pitchers' off-field concerns

I've been skeptical since Chan Ho Park said he came to the Phillies to start.

He was a decent starter a decade ago, but he hasn't made 30 starts in a season since 2001 - the year before he left the Dodgers for the Rangers, who signed him to that ridiculous contract. And he's now 35 years old, coming off a pretty good year out of the bullpen, and the Phillies have several younger options to fill the rotation.

But now we know why he is so determined to start again: The fate of the free world, or Korea's economy, depends on it:

He hopes to provide Koreans with a break from the bad economic news.

In 1998, he said, the South Korean economy was weak, and his countrymen looked forward to his starts. This week, economists estimated that the country's economy could shrink by 5 to 8 percent this quarter. Park wants to do his part to provide relief again.

"In 1998, they were happy watching my games every five days," he said. "That's why [starting] is very important. That's why I'm still working hard, being here."

Great. It took Charlie Manuel nearly three years to win over the Philadelphia fans, and now he's going to be vilified in Korea if he decides Park is better suited for the pen. Cholly seems to be treading very carefully with this one:

"It's where we think we need him most," manager Charlie Manuel said about Park possibly being the fifth starter. "If he's better than someone else [as a starter, we're] very open to it."

Now we know: Recently, I read somewhere that Jamie Moyer was befuddled why reporters asked him during the World Series celebration if he planned to retire and go out on a high note. The 46-year-old then signed a two-year contract in the offseason, which if he fulfills, would leave him sixth all-time on the list of oldest major league players.

He's like a cockroach: Countless younger and better pitchers have come and gone, while he has thrived. {I just yelled at Greg for this comparison. Cockroaches are disgusting and everybody hates them. Not quite the same as J-Moy.}

Now, we know why. He wants to hang on to be part of baseball's third-ever set of father and son (or sons) active at the same time. OK, his oldest is just 17 and no one's quite talking about it yet, but judging from the old man's gumption, I wouldn't be surprised if during spring training in a few years we see two "Moyers" in some team's camp.