Read Jamie Moyer's Immaculata Commencement Speech

"I am the only thing that is standing between you and receiving your degree today," Jamie Moyer joked at the beginning of his commencement speech at Immaculata University's May 19 graduation ceremony.

A PDF on the school's website has the text of Moyer's full speech, which focused on two themes—perseverence and giving back. He used his career in baseball and his philanthropic work to illustrate his points:

Statistically, no one could have predicted such a career that stretched over four decades. And, as many of you graduates can appreciate, it’s a great feeling to prove the experts wrong, overcome adversity and exceed the goals you set for yourself. What I have learned is that this requires perseverance as well as personal integrity and faith in one’s own self and abilities.

I’ve been writing a book about my experiences in the major leagues that comes out in September, and following on the same path many of you have taken to get where you are, I decided to call my book “Just Tell Me I Can’t.”

Read the full speech as a PDF on the IU website.