Phillies manager Charlie Manuel reiterated on Monday that Jamie Moyer still leads the race for the fifth spot in the Phillies rotation by endorsing the 47-year-old pitcher as “that lovable old guy at the office that doesn’t know when to hang it up.”

“Everyone loves and respects those guys,” Manuel continued. “People write stories about them. Despite the criticism and well-below average production, they show up to work every day as if nothing has changed. How can you not respect that?”

Kyle Kendrick is currently competing with Moyer for the final spot in the rotation and echoed Manuel’s praise for the 23-year veteran Moyer.

“I think everyone is glad he’s still hanging around here,” said Kendrick. “Not because we feel like it’s wrong to want an older guy to step aside when we all know his time has passed, but because we genuinely respect what he’s trying to do. Which is to literally pitch himself to death, I think.”