Lee’s Reward for Brilliance? A Swift Kick in the Ass
Posted by Johnny Goodtimes on December 18th, 2009
There is no-one who lives in Philadelphia who will ever forget Game 1 of the 2009 World Series. Batter after batter on the most dangerous team in baseball came to the plate, and Cliff Lee just kept methodically mowing them down. Though our hopes would be dashed a little over a week later, the excitement we felt when Lee grabbed that chopper behind his back secured his status as a legend in this town, the same way that Aaron Rowand’s nosebreaking catch made him a Philly immortal. Two months later, he’s gone. And he can’t believe it.
“Disbelief. Shock. At first I didn’t believe it. I thought we were working out an extension with the Phillies and I was going to spend the rest of my career there.”
Even if he hadn’t worked out the deal, of course, the Phillies could have put away the National League by keeping Lee on the team. The combination of Halladay, Lee, and Hamels would have simply meant that the 162 game season and playoffs were a warmup for the World Series. Barring injury, this would have been the first National League team in a non-Wartime situation to go to three straight World Series since the early 1920s New York Giants. (Yeah, the Cards did in the 40s, but that’s when so many pros were at war that one armed guys played in the league. Doesn’t count.) That’s right. This Phillies team, for 9 million dollars, could have begun making their argument for being ONE OF THE GREATEST NATIONAL LEAGUE TEAMS OF ALL TIME. Instead, they decided to pick up a few players in the Mariners farm system. Just like they got prospects when they traded Bobby Abreu. How did “Replenishing the farm system” work out for the Phils that time? What’s Carlos Monasterios up to these days? The bottom line has nothing to do with prospects. It has to do with the Phillies being satisfied with “contending” instead of “dominating”. And they certainly will contend. But they blew their chance to end the 2010 National League season before it began. And if they don’t make it to the 2010 World Series and thus lose their chance to be one of the best teams ever, a replenished farm system is going to be very little consolation.
December 18th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
This is what I’ll remember most about that game:
http://www.thefightins.com/tug-haines/gifton-phifer-lee/
December 18th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Got to agree with you, JG. To paraphrase “The Wire,” Lee is Real Phillie through and through. Prospects? We expect the Phils to decline sometime. Fact is, we could have nabbed another title. Would rather have another ring than be competent in 2012.
December 18th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
As a Mets fan, I will echo what I said to you last night—had the Phils kept both Halloway and Lee, it would have been time to start watching MSL soccer. It would have been a cakewalk. A team should always strive for titles when they are in their grasp–and Lee wasn’t expensive for this year. If they let him play out his contract, they get two 1st round picks—gotta be as good as what they got.
Strange move.
December 18th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
There’s no way to spend $9 million and have a thrift store christmas at the same time.
December 19th, 2009 at 8:42 am
You make a strong point.
December 19th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Out of the many ways the Phils could have scrapped together 9 million, solution #38 would be to come to the fans. Tickets are $1.50 more for every seat. BUT, with that money, we’ll have Cliff Lee.
No one would complain. No one.
Lee is a year younger and who says Halladay will be that lights out in the postseason? Even the best can’t stack up to what Lee created.
Bad taste, bad decision, we could have done it again sans Halladay. Lee for a full season? Gold.