Jamie Moyer had a few chuckles on the road to the Hall of Fame

When it comes to naming the greatest Mariners of all time, there’s no doubt pitcher Jamie Moyer is among them.

But he’s also probably the unlikeliest, given all the obstacles he overcame to get to the big leagues, and then stick around for four decades.

Nevertheless, Moyer prepares to become the latest member of the Mariners Hall of Fame before Saturday’s game against the Texas Rangers.

Related: Will the M’s bring home the offense?

From a young age, Jamie Moyer loved to prove the naysayers wrong, especially the ones who told him he wasn’t big enough or threw hard enough to be a major league pitcher.

“There have always been people that have doubted my abilities, but what I’ve come to learn is that as long as you have opportunity and prepare yourself correctly, you have a chance to succeed, and that’s how I’ve looked at my career,” he said. “Then you have to be consistently ready to take on whatever is in front of you.”

Did he ever. Moyer broke into the majors with the Cubs in 1986 and pitched for the Rangers, Cardinals, Orioles and Red Sox before getting traded to the Mariners during the 1996 season.

“I heard people always talking about it raining in Seattle,” he said. “Coming to Seattle as an opponent. I was always comfortable. Then being traded to Seattle, I was looking at it as a great opportunity.”

Moyer and the Mariners were a perfect fit. Over the course of a decade, he would become the winningest pitcher in team history.

What’s most impressive is how he did it. In a league dominated by flamethrowers blowing 95-mile-an-hour fastballs by batters, Moyer flummoxed them with pinpoint control, a devastating curve ball, and ever-changing speeds that ranged from slow to slower.

His goal was to get inside his opponent’s head. And he admits he would often laugh to himself when he could outwit so many sluggers.

“I had a few chuckles here and there,” he said. “I came to realize that I didn’t have that overpowering fastball.”

So he had to figure out other ways to throw strikes.

Even though he made a name for himself on the field, he’s even prouder of what he’s accomplished off of it.

He established the Moyer Foundation with his wife Karen in 2000, raising millions of dollars to support hundreds of organizations serving kids around the country.

They also created free bereavement camps called Camp Erin, providing a respite for children and teens in every Major League Baseball city. They also formed Camp Mariposa, a free camp for kids affected by addiction in their families.

“Knowing that there are kids out there in these situations in need, it’s created a passion for us to try to make a difference for us in children’s lives,” he said.

He’d like to help even more. That’s why he hosted a special star-studded celebration Thursday night at the Paramount Theater to raise money for the foundation.

Latest Mariners news

“That’s what it’s all about,” he said. “Continuing to help these kids in need. Growing these camps, growing exposure to these camps…People can help leave a legacy behind.”

Without a doubt, his legacy is already cemented as he takes his place alongside the likes of Edgar, Junior, and the Bone.

“Sometimes I have to pinch myself,” he said.

And the ever-humble Moyer admits he was speechless when he got the call to join them in the Mariners Hall of Fame.

“It’s a huge honor,” he said. “To be able to play in Seattle for over 10 years was a dream come to true. To share that with the fans and community in Seattle has been great.”