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This is Fresh Air. I'm Dave Davies.

Major League Baseball resumes today after an All-Star break that showcased

continuing changes in the national pastime. Tuesday's All-Star game featured a robotic umpire

that players could appeal to when they thought the man in blue behind the plate missed a call.

And the game's six-six-tie was decided by a first-ever home-run swing-off, in which three

players from each side swatted pitches thrown by a batting practice coach into the seats.

The National League prevailed on a powerful performance by the Phillies, Kyle Schwarber.

But many of the game's long-standing traditions endure, managers arguing with umpires,

pitchers brushing back hitters, and players of average talent excelling with hustle and mental

toughness.

Today we're going to tap our archive of interviews with baseball players and managers who've

given us some memorable insights into the game.

We begin with Jamie Moyer, who at age 49, became the oldest pitcher ever to record a win in the majors.

Never blessed with a blazing fastball.

He pitched for 25 seasons and was a more effective pitcher in his 40s than in his 20s,

because he used precise location and strategic thinking to get batters out, in part with the help of a sports psychologist.

I spoke to Moyer in 2013 when his memoir, Just Tell Me I Can't, was published.

We talked about the mental and emotional side of pitching.

Do you think hitters sense doubt in a pitcher?

...