It has been an argument that has started since the biggest trade in baseball history back in December of 2009, which pitcher would you rather have on your team as a Philadelphia Phillie Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee?
Roy Halladay as a Phillie in 2010 has put up an ERA 2.42, 9 wins, 7, losses, and 112 strikeouts. Halladay this season started the year off 4-0 in his first 4 starts and looked to be the best pitcher in the National League. Halladay threw 2 complete games and one of those games was a shutout against the Atlanta Braves on April 21st, 2010. Then a month later against the Florida Marlins on May 29th, 2010 Roy Halladay threw his first ever career perfect game and became the first Phillie to do so since Jim Bunning did that back in 1964 and Halladay became the second pitcher this season to throw a perfect game in the same month. After his perfect game the "Doc" lost his next 3 starts and his record went to 8-6 with an ERA of 2.43 which was still one of the best in the NL. On June 25th he picked up his 9th win against his former team the Blue Jays and that was a win he needed badly. Against the Reds Halladay went 8 innings with 10 K's gave up 13 hits, and 4 earns runs the "Doc" blew a 3 run lead in his hands and got the lost and his record was now 9-7. So the first half of the year for Halladay has been a full of ups and downs and in this game its never easy being the best. Halladay should get at least 1 or 2 more starts before the all-star break and will see what the "Doc" can to.
We now take a look at former Phillie Cliff Lee who in the offseason headed over to the Settle Mariners. In the beginning of the 2010 season Lee would start the year on the DL but when Lee came off the DL he went 7 innings giving up on 3 hits and striking out 8 batters against the Texas Rangers. In that game Lee would get a no decision. Lee would then win 4 in row in his next 4 starts and looked to be the "M's" best pitcher on the team. On June 29th against the New York Yankees the team that he was lights out against the 2009 World Series Lee would set an all time new major league record by walking his 5th batter this season in 144 innings pitched, no one has ever done that before. Lee would also throw his 3rd straight complete game in a row and became the first Mariner to do that since Randy Johnson did so back in 1998. Lee will most likely get at least 1 more start on the year and go for complete game number 5 and his 4th straight. Lee so far as a Mariner has an ERA of 2.45, 7 wins, 3 losses, and 78 strikeouts, but with the trade deadline right around the corner who knows if he will still be a Mariner for long as the Yankees, the Dodgers, the Mets, the Rangers and even the Phillies might try to get Lee off their hands.
So there have you people what pitchers would you like to have on your team? I mean the Phillies at one point had both pitchers on the team but traded Lee to get some prospects. The Phillies already had Lee signed for the 2010 season for 9 million dollars but they heard that Lee wanted the test the free agency market and didn't let Halladay fall to another team. But as you can see Lee has been pretty good with a team that is in dead last and as for the Phillies well their no longer kings of the National League East anymore as their 3 games out first against the Atlanta Braves. If you had both pitchers on this team who knows how good the Phillies would be, they would probably be the best team in baseball and I still think when everything is said and done the Phillies will be right there at the end. As for Lee who knows what team he will be with come at the end of July who knows maybe the Phillies will get him back, at Yankee Stadium when Lee was pitching a Phillie scout was there looking at Lee, but only time will tell.
For Beyond Baseball,
I'm Seth Lempert.
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