Happy Halladays

In the eyes of the Philadelphia Phillies, as good as Cliff Lee is, Roy Halladay would always trump him. On the first day of the 2010 MLB playoffs, “Doc” did that.

At last season’s trade deadline the Phillies strongly pursued Halladay. The asking price was too high so they “settled” on Lee.

Lee was dominant for Philadelphia. He helped get them to the postseason, won his first ever playoff start and was the winning pitcher in the only two games Philly won in the World Series. He finished the 2009 playoffs with a spotless 4-0 record.

However the team did not repeat as champions so the love affair with Halladay continued.

They finally landed their man in December, and fans salivated at a rotation featuring the one-two punch of Halladay and Lee. The Phillies’ front office didn’t have the same plans, though, and looking to restock their farm system, shipped Lee off to Seattle.

The media and fans continuously asked why the two couldn’t coexist for one miraculous season, but were forced to wonder what if.

Looking for more help at this year’s trade deadline, the Phillies went out and traded for Roy Oswalt. The cries for Lee came back strong. “I told you so,” was a popular sentiment. Other phrases uttered included, “If they kept Lee they wouldn’t have needed to trade for Oswalt,” and, “The trade for Oswalt was the team admitting they made a mistake trading Lee away.”

Could Philly fans really be that upset though, as Halladay finished the season with 21 wins, a perfect game, a probable Cy Young award, and another division championship?



Lee was traded to the Texas Rangers, who also made the playoffs. Both teams were scheduled to play on the first day of the playoffs, and fittingly, Lee and Texas would come before Halladay and the Phillies.

Lee delivered a gem. He went seven innings, allowed only one run, and in a masterful display of control struck out 10 opponents while walking none. The Rangers won the game and Lee proved, once again, how dominating he can be.

Fittingly, Halladay did him one better, hurling a complete-game no-hitter, only the second in the history of the playoffs.

While nothing will matter to the Phillies if they don’t win the World Series, tonight proved the Phillies off-season theory.

Lee is incredible, Halladay is unhittable.

Photo Credits.
Roy Halladay: AP Photo/Matt Rourke
Cliff Lee: AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

Aces Wild

The Philadelphia Phillies have made another late-season surge in order to pass the Atlanta Braves in the National League East standings, stretching their own lead to three games.

The Phillies are preparing for another deep playoff run, but first they need to fend off the Braves for the division crown. It’s a big series as Atlanta comes to Citizens Bank Park for three games, hoping to cut into the lead and in a best case scenario make it all even once more.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has put his best effort to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Facing the Braves will be Philadelphia’s all-star trio of starting pitchers: Cole Hamels to open the series, Roy Halladay on Tuesday, and Roy Oswalt in the closing game.

If the Phillies can at least win the series, they will pick up an extra game in the standings. A sweep would put the Phillies up by six games with nine remaining.

It’s a tall order in front of the Braves. Not only have they gone on a slide of their own, the Phillies have won seven in a row and 11 of their previous 12. The surprisingly inconsistent offense has finally erupted, scoring 108 runs in 18 games in September.

And at a time when the team has been playing its best baseball, the pitchers taking the mound have been at their absolute best.

Hamels, who hopes to get the Phillies started off on the right foot, has allowed only one run in his previous 31 1/3 innings pitched, and has compiled an ERA of 1.79 in his past 13 starts. This recent stretch has lowered his season ERA to 3.01, just outside the top-10 in the National League.

Halladay, the hurler of a perfect game earlier in the season, has won his past three straight starts. He is the MLB leader in complete games. He owns a 2.49 ERA, his lowest total since 2005 and is good enough for third in the National League. He also has a career high in strikeouts (210), good enough for second in the NL, and has the most wins (19) in the NL and second-most in all of MLB.



Newly acquired Oswalt has been a fantastic pickup for Philadelphia. Since being acquired at the trade deadline, Oswalt has compiled a 7-1 record (the lone loss coming in his first start with the team) and a 1.94 ERA. His ERA over the entirety of the season is 2.90, putting him ninth in the NL.

While getting everyone healthy (starters Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Shane Victorino, Placido Polanco, Jimmy Rollins, and Carlos Ruiz have all seen stints on the DL) and getting the offense right have been big for the Phillies, the amazing pitching from the top of the rotation has been instrumental in Philadelphia’s latest pennant race.

For the upcoming series, not only does aligning the rotation as it is put the team in the best position possible to win its fourth consecutive division title, but it also is the best possible warm-up for October baseball.

Facing a playoff-caliber team (the Braves are currently the Wild Card leaders) the Phillies will line up their three best pitchers in a playoff atmosphere. The importance of the games is huge and the fans in Philadelphia will be loud and behind their team 100 percent.

The Phillies are once again playing their best baseball heading into the postseason, and their most valuable players over that stretch will look to keep the momentum rolling.

Photo Credits.
Roy Halladay: AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek
Cole Hamels: AP Photo/Lynne Sladky