Over the weekend, the Colorado Rockies announced that they’ve offered a minor league contract to the 49-year-old Jamie Moyer, who sat out last season after reconstructive surgery on his elbow, AKA, Tommy John surgery. For a team that’s only been getting younger in recent years, Moyer is an intriguing possibility. He’s a cagey, (historically) durable lefty who always seems to keep his team in the game. If he’s still got anything, his mere presence should be a boon to the Rox (mostly) green pitching staff.

Never mind that Moyer’s been around so long that his famous father-in-law (former Notre Dame basketball coach Digger Phelps) isn’t all that famous anymore. Or that Moyer threw his first major league pitch before 13 of the Rockies’ current players on the 40-man roster were born, and before 34 of them had even entered elementary school. Or that he was a five-year veteran when he got to play with Nolan Ryan, who was elected to the Hall of Fame 13 years ago. Or that it was year nine of Moyer’s career before he squared off against a cherub-faced rookie named Jason Giambi. If Moyer can throw strikes, keep the ball down and in the ballpark, the Rockies—and old-timers everywhere—will have reason to celebrate.