Tuesday afternoon the New York Mets signed the big power man from the Boston Red Sox, Jason Bay. Bay in 2009 had a good year batting .267, 36 homeruns, and 119 RBI's. Bay signed a 4 year deal worth $66 million dollars. Also last week the New York Mets rapped up starting pitching/relief pitcher Kelvim Escobar from the Angels. In 09 Escobar wasn't that good, his ERA was 3.60, 0 wins, 1 lose, and 5 strikeouts. He signed a 1 year deal. How will both this guys pen out for the Mets?
Well I think Jason Bay going to Mets is a great move. After the Mets having a horrible season last year, he is what they need in the outfield and he knows how to win. Also batting in the 3 or 4 hole before or after Beltran in the line-up will help the Met outs with power. Also it’s a big time threat in the NL. After being in the NL than moving over to the AL and now coming back to the NL and playing for a pretty good team, that just makes its harder for opposing pitchers in the national league. So this is a great move. As for Escobar, well it depends what player shows up. Will it be the Escobar that was so good 2 years ago or will it be the pitcher who doesn’t have it? Plus the Mets have to see if he will be a starter or relief pitcher. These are just questions that will have to be answered during spring training or during the 2010 season.
Today around 4:00 p.m. the San Francisco Giants signed free agent third basemen Mark DeRosa for 2 years worth 12 million dollars. DeRosa who came over from the Cardinals in 2009 batted .250, 23 homeruns, and 78 RBI's. Was this a good move for the Giants? This move was indeed a good one. Mark DeRosa is probably the most underrated third basemen in the league. He may not be the best but he knows how to play the game the right way. He also could be the guy they could use in the Giants line-up along with Pablo Sandoval, Freddy Sanchez, and Aaron Rowand. I also think this year the Giants with win the NL West Division only if the pitching holds up and everyone stays healthy for the most part of the year.
This is beyond big news, this is Beyond Baseball.
BEYOND BASEBALL - Where you live, read, and die baseball.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
The Doc Is In. The Lee Is Out.
Today the Philadelphia Phillies signed the hard former CY Young Award winner right hander Roy "Doc" Halladay. But this deal wasn't gonna come cheap and it wasn't like any other signing. The Phillies would have to give up their ace Cliff Lee and three Phillies prospects to the Toronto Blue Jays, the Seattle Mariners and some how the Oakland A's got on in this deal as well. This was probably one of the biggest trades ever in the 130 years in this game and was defiantly a blockbuster deal in hand. The Phillies would send Cliff Lee to the Mariners for three prospects. In return the Phillies got pitching prospects Phillippe Anmont, J.C. Ramirez and outfielder prospect Tyson Gillies. Now to get Halladay the Phillies would have to give up outfield prospect Michael Taylor who got traded to the Oakland A's for prospect Brett Wallace, catcher prospect Travis d'Arnaud, and the number one pitching prospect for the Phillies Kyle Drabek to Toronto. In return the Phillies would get the ace they have wanted since last July Roy Halladay and $6 million dollars from Toronto.
The Phillies got Halladay on a three year deal till 2011 through 2013 for $20 million a year, plus a $20 million vesting option for 2014. But some people in this city did not agree with this move at all. A lot of people wanna know why the Phillies couldn't have kept Lee and added Halladay on the team? Well here it is, the Phillies have to stick to their $140 million dollar budget that was already getting tight at the moment and could afford to keep both Lee and Halladay on the same team. Another reason is that, Cliff Lee was going to walk after the 2010 season to test the free agency market, plus Lee wanted a C.C. Sabathia deal of $160 million dollars for 3 years that was never going to happen. Another reason is that, the Phillies didn't know if Lee was going to do a contract extension if he was going to walk, where in Halladay case he was willing to do that and the Phillies raped him up for three long years. But now people are saying why couldn't we keep Lee and Hallaway on the same team for one year and see what happens? Well the reason for that is prospects, is whole deal was about prospects in witch the Phillies have a lot of as you know in the past. Since they were giving away 3 of their best prospects they needed to fill in those lost prospects. Also Cliff Lee was already going to make 9 million dollars this year, so they took Halladay and got rid of Lee. But here's something I didn't understand is why didn't the Phillies get rid of Joe Blanton who will be a free agent after the 2010 season and keep Lee? Also Blanton was only making 2-3 million dollars less than what Cliff Lee was going to make, so if they would gotten rid of Blanton that would have made some room on the Phillies payroll and could have kept Lee with Halladay for 1 year. But the Phillies had a different view on this deal, they didn't wanna have just one good year with both Lee and Halladay. They wanted to have 3 good long years with just Halladay and if they could have kept Lee that would of been just extra points for the Phils. Instead of not shooting themselves in the foot by not signing Halladay at all they did just in case this opportunity would have never came around again. Instead Joe Blanton stayed and Cliff Lee was shipped out and Roy Halladay arrived on time.
Just the question is now now how will this move pen out for the Phillies? Well I think this move was ok, I mean the Phillies gave up 4 prospect in July for Cliff Lee and now just gave up 3 prospect for Halladay in total that's 7 prospect to get a CY Young for a CY Young. Also what makes no scenes is why didn't the Phillies do this move earlier when Toronto wanted both Michael Taylor and Kyle Drabek when now they just gave up both guys for Halladay? Now the big question comes in now, how good will Cole Hamels be this year? We saw in 2009 he didn't live up to the hype "Hamels" he was in the 2008 World Series. Basically this all folds on him, cause I'll tell you something if he doesn't get back to the pitcher he was 2 years ago the Phillies will wish they would have held on to Cliff Lee just for one year. But the talk is said, what would you rather have Cliff Lee stay for 1 year than walk and not get Halladay after he's gone? Or have Roy Halladay for 3 plus years and have a chance to win another World Series and fill that ace spot in the rotation? Or have both on the same team for just 1 year and have one of the most dangerous pitching staff in all of baseball? That's just something we will never find out.
Cliff Lee in 2009 had a really good season with the Phillies after coming over from the Cleveland Indians with a 3.39 ERA, 7 wins and 4 losses as a Phillie. Also Lee was 4-0 in the postseason with a 1.56 ERA. But overall Lee finished with 14 wins, 13 loses and an ERA of 3.22. As for Roy Halladay in 2009 was one if not one of his better years. Halladay finished with 17 wins, 10 losses, and an ERA of 2.79, yet Halladay has never made the playoffs in fact he doesn't know what the word playoff means nor does he know what the feeling is like pitching in the playoffs, neither did Lee but he sure looked like he knew what he was doing. Don't get me wrong Halladay is defiantly by far one of the best pitchers in our time besides Tim Linecum from the San Fransisco Giants. Also Halladay is a big time pitcher and is a very smart pitcher. He knows how get ahead in the count and put down big time hitters such as Alex Rodriguez from the New York Yankees. Just know this, I think the Phillies did an alright move, but could have saved all this drama if they would have just gotten Halladay to begin with where they wouldn't of have the trouble of giving up a big FAN favorite in Cliff Lee. So the table is set, Lee is a Mariners, Halladay is Phillie and the Phillies lost probably all their best prospects to the Indians and the Blue Jays for two of the best pitchers in the game. One who stayed for not even a half a year and the other who will be here for the next 3-4 years. It’s funny how so much can change in one deal. Cliff Lee you will be missed in Philadelphia. Roy Halladay welcome to the City of Brotherly Love. P.S. don't forget to have a Philly Cheese Steak! This is Beyond a big time trade, this is Beyond Baseball.
The Phillies got Halladay on a three year deal till 2011 through 2013 for $20 million a year, plus a $20 million vesting option for 2014. But some people in this city did not agree with this move at all. A lot of people wanna know why the Phillies couldn't have kept Lee and added Halladay on the team? Well here it is, the Phillies have to stick to their $140 million dollar budget that was already getting tight at the moment and could afford to keep both Lee and Halladay on the same team. Another reason is that, Cliff Lee was going to walk after the 2010 season to test the free agency market, plus Lee wanted a C.C. Sabathia deal of $160 million dollars for 3 years that was never going to happen. Another reason is that, the Phillies didn't know if Lee was going to do a contract extension if he was going to walk, where in Halladay case he was willing to do that and the Phillies raped him up for three long years. But now people are saying why couldn't we keep Lee and Hallaway on the same team for one year and see what happens? Well the reason for that is prospects, is whole deal was about prospects in witch the Phillies have a lot of as you know in the past. Since they were giving away 3 of their best prospects they needed to fill in those lost prospects. Also Cliff Lee was already going to make 9 million dollars this year, so they took Halladay and got rid of Lee. But here's something I didn't understand is why didn't the Phillies get rid of Joe Blanton who will be a free agent after the 2010 season and keep Lee? Also Blanton was only making 2-3 million dollars less than what Cliff Lee was going to make, so if they would gotten rid of Blanton that would have made some room on the Phillies payroll and could have kept Lee with Halladay for 1 year. But the Phillies had a different view on this deal, they didn't wanna have just one good year with both Lee and Halladay. They wanted to have 3 good long years with just Halladay and if they could have kept Lee that would of been just extra points for the Phils. Instead of not shooting themselves in the foot by not signing Halladay at all they did just in case this opportunity would have never came around again. Instead Joe Blanton stayed and Cliff Lee was shipped out and Roy Halladay arrived on time.
Just the question is now now how will this move pen out for the Phillies? Well I think this move was ok, I mean the Phillies gave up 4 prospect in July for Cliff Lee and now just gave up 3 prospect for Halladay in total that's 7 prospect to get a CY Young for a CY Young. Also what makes no scenes is why didn't the Phillies do this move earlier when Toronto wanted both Michael Taylor and Kyle Drabek when now they just gave up both guys for Halladay? Now the big question comes in now, how good will Cole Hamels be this year? We saw in 2009 he didn't live up to the hype "Hamels" he was in the 2008 World Series. Basically this all folds on him, cause I'll tell you something if he doesn't get back to the pitcher he was 2 years ago the Phillies will wish they would have held on to Cliff Lee just for one year. But the talk is said, what would you rather have Cliff Lee stay for 1 year than walk and not get Halladay after he's gone? Or have Roy Halladay for 3 plus years and have a chance to win another World Series and fill that ace spot in the rotation? Or have both on the same team for just 1 year and have one of the most dangerous pitching staff in all of baseball? That's just something we will never find out.
Cliff Lee in 2009 had a really good season with the Phillies after coming over from the Cleveland Indians with a 3.39 ERA, 7 wins and 4 losses as a Phillie. Also Lee was 4-0 in the postseason with a 1.56 ERA. But overall Lee finished with 14 wins, 13 loses and an ERA of 3.22. As for Roy Halladay in 2009 was one if not one of his better years. Halladay finished with 17 wins, 10 losses, and an ERA of 2.79, yet Halladay has never made the playoffs in fact he doesn't know what the word playoff means nor does he know what the feeling is like pitching in the playoffs, neither did Lee but he sure looked like he knew what he was doing. Don't get me wrong Halladay is defiantly by far one of the best pitchers in our time besides Tim Linecum from the San Fransisco Giants. Also Halladay is a big time pitcher and is a very smart pitcher. He knows how get ahead in the count and put down big time hitters such as Alex Rodriguez from the New York Yankees. Just know this, I think the Phillies did an alright move, but could have saved all this drama if they would have just gotten Halladay to begin with where they wouldn't of have the trouble of giving up a big FAN favorite in Cliff Lee. So the table is set, Lee is a Mariners, Halladay is Phillie and the Phillies lost probably all their best prospects to the Indians and the Blue Jays for two of the best pitchers in the game. One who stayed for not even a half a year and the other who will be here for the next 3-4 years. It’s funny how so much can change in one deal. Cliff Lee you will be missed in Philadelphia. Roy Halladay welcome to the City of Brotherly Love. P.S. don't forget to have a Philly Cheese Steak! This is Beyond a big time trade, this is Beyond Baseball.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Philadelphia Phillie Outstanding star in 2009 - Cliff Lee
We all remember how the Phillies won the World Series in 2008 and it had to do with the pitching staff and outstanding young left hander Cole Hamels. So this year how would the Phillies be able to maybe win BACK TO BACK titles in Philly. Well pitching was a big key for the Phillies this year and in the beginning of the year the pitching wasn't there at all.
For Cliff Lee the 2009 season was one to remember. He would start opening day and his 4 1/2 months with the team he has been with since 2002 the Cleveland Indians. Cliff Lee in 2008 won his first ever CY Young award with 22 win and 3 loses and American League best ERA with a 2.54. If you were to ask Cleveland fans, who was this guy 2 years before they would have probably said "Cliff Lee"? "That guy's a bum" Lee who 2006 had an ERA of 4.40, 14 wins and 11 loses and was still looking for that magic in his arm, but in 2007 things only got worse for the left hander. Lee would suffer a groin strain during spring training and would be put on the DL for the beginning of the season. On July 26, 2007 Lee would give up 7 runs in 4 innings and would be booed off the field. The next day Lee was sent down to triple-A ball where he would play most of the season there. September 1, 2007 he was called back up but only pitched in 4 games, the Indians won the Central Division Championship and would head for the playoff but without Cliff Lee as he would yet be on the DL. For those who don't remember the postseason in 2007 the Indians got past the Yankees in the ALDS but would fall into a hole against the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS with a 3-1 game lead and blew it. Maybe if they had the extra healthy pitcher in Cliff Lee, who knows what would have happened in 2007.
In 2009 Cliff Lee clearly won the ace spot with the Indians with the big dog C.C. Sabathia now with the New York Yankees, Lee would start off with a losing record 4 wins and 6 loses, but a really good ERA of 2.88. But on July, 29, 2009 just two days before the trade dead-line, Lee and teammate Ben Francisco were traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. Baseball writers and fans never saw this coming because the Phillies were talking to Roy Halladay for the longest time. This move came out of nowhere. Cliff Lee would leave the town and team that he had been with for his whole life with an EAR of 3.14 and losing record with 7 wins and 9 loses in 2009 with the Indians. Phillies fans had their ups and downs about this move. Some said "well Lee is a guy who can definitely help the Phillies repeat as World Champs". Other said "I still think we should have gotten Halladay". Lee would make his first Phillies day-few on July 31, 2009 against the San Francisco Giants. He would win his first game as a Phillie by having a complete game win by a score of 5-1 with 6 strikeouts. Lee would than win his next 4 games in row and his ERA was 0.68. Cliff Lee would finish the season with 7 win, 4 loses and a ERA of 3.39 as a Philadelphia Phillie. But overall with both Cleveland and Philadelphia he had an ERA of 3.22, 14 wins, 13 loses.
The Philadelphia Phillies would win their third straight National League East Division title from the help of Cliff Lee. It seemed like he gave this team the extra push they needed. On October 7th Cliff Lee would make his first ever postseason start as the ace of the staff against the Colorado Rockies and would win his first ever playoff game by a score of 5-1, and Lee would indeed finish the game off with a complete and 5 strikeouts. His next big start came on October 18th in the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers and boy did this game send a message to the Dodgers and Dodgers fans. Lee shutout the Dodgers 11-0 with 10 strikeouts in only 8 innings of work. Lee would now have the best an ERA in postseason 0.00. The Phillies would win the National League Championship Series for the second straight time against the Dodgers and would have a date with the 26 time World Series Champions the New York Yankees in the World Series. On October 28th, 2009, Cliff Lee was making his first ever World Series start against his former teammate and good friend C.C. Sabathia who was making his first ever World Series start as well. Two former teammate, two former CY Young award winners, two friends on two different teams going against each other to become World Series Champions and for these two guys it was all that they could have dreamed of.
Cliff Lee would do a little bit better than his friend C.C. in Game 1 game of the World Series by winning 6-1 with 10 strikeouts and having yet again another complete game in the postseason. Lee was then called on to pitch in Game 5 of the World Series with his team trailing three games to one. So on November 2nd, Lee would have to try to help keep his team alive in the World Series. Lee wouldn't despotic, he may have not pitched that well in this game like he did in Game 1 but he got the job done going 7 inning and only having 3 strikeouts and winning the game by a score of 8-6, he would now have 4 wins in the postseason. But as we know the Phillies failed to win the World Series in 2009, it was still one of those years as a pitcher that says let go out there and do this again and that's what Cliff Lee brings to the table. "The goal is winning and staying on top of my game come opening day next year" said Cliff Lee.
So that kid from Benton, Arkansas, who was drafted by the Florida Marlins in 1997 and did not sign to attend the Meridian Community College, to was later drafted in 1998 by the Baltimore Orioles who still did not sign to attend the University of Arkansas, who was later drafted by the Montreal Expos in 2000 and signed, who was later traded by the Expos along with stars like Brandon Phillips, Lee Stevens, and Grady Sizemore to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Bartolo Colón and Tim Drew. Cliff Lee now finds himself with a team that knows how to win and has the heart to win. It’s just a question and a matter of time when will it happen again? For Cliff Lee the sky's the limit in 2010. This beyond a heart of a pitcher, this is beyond baseball.
For Cliff Lee the 2009 season was one to remember. He would start opening day and his 4 1/2 months with the team he has been with since 2002 the Cleveland Indians. Cliff Lee in 2008 won his first ever CY Young award with 22 win and 3 loses and American League best ERA with a 2.54. If you were to ask Cleveland fans, who was this guy 2 years before they would have probably said "Cliff Lee"? "That guy's a bum" Lee who 2006 had an ERA of 4.40, 14 wins and 11 loses and was still looking for that magic in his arm, but in 2007 things only got worse for the left hander. Lee would suffer a groin strain during spring training and would be put on the DL for the beginning of the season. On July 26, 2007 Lee would give up 7 runs in 4 innings and would be booed off the field. The next day Lee was sent down to triple-A ball where he would play most of the season there. September 1, 2007 he was called back up but only pitched in 4 games, the Indians won the Central Division Championship and would head for the playoff but without Cliff Lee as he would yet be on the DL. For those who don't remember the postseason in 2007 the Indians got past the Yankees in the ALDS but would fall into a hole against the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS with a 3-1 game lead and blew it. Maybe if they had the extra healthy pitcher in Cliff Lee, who knows what would have happened in 2007.
In 2009 Cliff Lee clearly won the ace spot with the Indians with the big dog C.C. Sabathia now with the New York Yankees, Lee would start off with a losing record 4 wins and 6 loses, but a really good ERA of 2.88. But on July, 29, 2009 just two days before the trade dead-line, Lee and teammate Ben Francisco were traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. Baseball writers and fans never saw this coming because the Phillies were talking to Roy Halladay for the longest time. This move came out of nowhere. Cliff Lee would leave the town and team that he had been with for his whole life with an EAR of 3.14 and losing record with 7 wins and 9 loses in 2009 with the Indians. Phillies fans had their ups and downs about this move. Some said "well Lee is a guy who can definitely help the Phillies repeat as World Champs". Other said "I still think we should have gotten Halladay". Lee would make his first Phillies day-few on July 31, 2009 against the San Francisco Giants. He would win his first game as a Phillie by having a complete game win by a score of 5-1 with 6 strikeouts. Lee would than win his next 4 games in row and his ERA was 0.68. Cliff Lee would finish the season with 7 win, 4 loses and a ERA of 3.39 as a Philadelphia Phillie. But overall with both Cleveland and Philadelphia he had an ERA of 3.22, 14 wins, 13 loses.
The Philadelphia Phillies would win their third straight National League East Division title from the help of Cliff Lee. It seemed like he gave this team the extra push they needed. On October 7th Cliff Lee would make his first ever postseason start as the ace of the staff against the Colorado Rockies and would win his first ever playoff game by a score of 5-1, and Lee would indeed finish the game off with a complete and 5 strikeouts. His next big start came on October 18th in the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers and boy did this game send a message to the Dodgers and Dodgers fans. Lee shutout the Dodgers 11-0 with 10 strikeouts in only 8 innings of work. Lee would now have the best an ERA in postseason 0.00. The Phillies would win the National League Championship Series for the second straight time against the Dodgers and would have a date with the 26 time World Series Champions the New York Yankees in the World Series. On October 28th, 2009, Cliff Lee was making his first ever World Series start against his former teammate and good friend C.C. Sabathia who was making his first ever World Series start as well. Two former teammate, two former CY Young award winners, two friends on two different teams going against each other to become World Series Champions and for these two guys it was all that they could have dreamed of.
Cliff Lee would do a little bit better than his friend C.C. in Game 1 game of the World Series by winning 6-1 with 10 strikeouts and having yet again another complete game in the postseason. Lee was then called on to pitch in Game 5 of the World Series with his team trailing three games to one. So on November 2nd, Lee would have to try to help keep his team alive in the World Series. Lee wouldn't despotic, he may have not pitched that well in this game like he did in Game 1 but he got the job done going 7 inning and only having 3 strikeouts and winning the game by a score of 8-6, he would now have 4 wins in the postseason. But as we know the Phillies failed to win the World Series in 2009, it was still one of those years as a pitcher that says let go out there and do this again and that's what Cliff Lee brings to the table. "The goal is winning and staying on top of my game come opening day next year" said Cliff Lee.
So that kid from Benton, Arkansas, who was drafted by the Florida Marlins in 1997 and did not sign to attend the Meridian Community College, to was later drafted in 1998 by the Baltimore Orioles who still did not sign to attend the University of Arkansas, who was later drafted by the Montreal Expos in 2000 and signed, who was later traded by the Expos along with stars like Brandon Phillips, Lee Stevens, and Grady Sizemore to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Bartolo Colón and Tim Drew. Cliff Lee now finds himself with a team that knows how to win and has the heart to win. It’s just a question and a matter of time when will it happen again? For Cliff Lee the sky's the limit in 2010. This beyond a heart of a pitcher, this is beyond baseball.
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