Cliff Lee

[Guest Edgy DC]

One of the greatest heroes America has ever known. Don't let me down, Cliff.

[Frayed Knot]

The only way Cliff can let you down is in Game 7 ... and this series isn't getting that far.

[ashie62]

Your 2011 New York Mets Opening day starter Cliff Lee..Loud Cheers.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Frayed Knot wrote: The only way Cliff can let you down is in Game 7 ... and this series isn't getting that far.

Well, he can take the contract that the Yankees are even now drawing up for him.

Seriously, Cliff Lee is the post-season pitcher that Roger Clemens is in his own head.

Year	Series	Rslt	Opp	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	WHIP	H/9	HR/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB
2009	NLDS	W	COL	1	0	1.000	1.10	2	2	0	1	0	0	16.33	11	4	2	0	3	0	10	0	0	2	62	0.857	6.1	0.0	1.7	5.5	3.33
2009	NLCS	W	LAD	1	0	1.000	0.00	1	1	0	0	0	0	8.00	3	0	0	0	0	0	10	0	0	0	26	0.375	3.4	0.0	0.0	11.3	inf
2009	WS	L	NYY	2	0	1.000	2.81	2	2	0	1	0	0	16.00	13	6	5	0	3	0	13	0	0	0	63	1.000	7.3	0.0	1.7	7.3	4.33
2010	ALDS	W	TBR	2	0	1.000	1.13	2	2	0	1	0	0	16.00	11	2	2	1	0	0	21	0	0	0	60	0.688	6.2	0.6	0.0	11.8	inf
2010	ALCS	--	NYY	1	0	1.000	0.00	1	1	0	0	0	0	8.00	2	0	0	0	1	0	13	0	0	0	27	0.375	2.3	0.0	1.1	14.6	13.00
Career				7	0	1.000	1.26	8	8	0	3	0	0	64.33	40	12	9	1	7	0	67	0	0	2	238	0.731	5.6	0.1	1.0	9.4	9.57

[Guest Edgy DC]

Check those innings pitched, averaging over eight per game. I'd call that record Koufaxian but even Sandy would be looking up at those numbers.

[metirish]

That was simply one of the best games I have seen pitched...in at least a week anyway.....man he was brilliant, cemented his HOF career with beating HOFamer AP.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

lol.

The new Mets GM could certainly make a statement with this guy, if he wanted to.

[Guest Edgy DC]

He certainly could. Although that's how Omar's tenure started, making a big statment by breaking open the bank to acquire the previous year's post-season hero. I certainly wouldn't be averse to that, but the real trick of GM-ing, of course, is finding next season's hero.

[smg58]

Oh, how I want the Phillies to PAY for giving him off to Seattle. I'm sick of all the praise getting heaped on Amaro, when Minaya never made as bad a deal as that one. He made $9M this year and you couldn't afford him? Even after making the Blue Jays pay half of Halladay's contract, which was an outrage? And then you extended Ryan Howard's contract by how much, for how long?

Some people just deserve to lose.

[Guest Edgy DC]

The 2010 performance of the bounty Philadelphia got from Seattle for Lee:

• 21-year-old RHP J.C. Ramirez: 142 innings between high-A and AA, going 7-7, 4.82, with 41 walks and 115 strikeouts.
  
  
  
• 21-year-old RHP (and 2007 first-round pick) Phillipe Aumont: 122 innings between high-A and AA, going 3-11, 5.68 ERA, with 80 walks and 115 strikeouts.
  
  
  
• 21-year-old CF Tyson Gilles: 117 plate appearances, almost all at AA, going .243 / .302 / .336 // .638.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

How a man can put up those kinds of walk numbers (7 in 7 GS, 64 1/3 IP... he's at less than 1 per 9, people) while still striking out that many seems an impossibility.

I'm wary beyond the confines of the word "wary" about a multiyear deal for a thirtysomething pitcher (see: Johan), but... ye Gods, it's tough to say no to this.

[Guest attgig]

yeah, but it's a little scary to think how much money he's going to earn after this. this post season may up his value as much as beltran upped his value in that astros/cards post season.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I'm wary beyond the confines of the word "wary" about a multiyear deal for a thirtysomething pitcher (see: Johan), but... ye Gods, it's tough to say no to this.

Well, it may get easier once you see the prices an open market drives, and take a good, long, sober look at his regular season numbers. He's really good, but looking at how 2008 followed a torn groin in 2007, it's hard to feel fully confident in what you're getting. Great pitching is ephemeral.

Amazin' that he's doing this for Texas and a fan base that booed him off the mound back in 2007 when he hit Sammy Sosa in the head on Sammy Sosa Night.

It's almost like if the Mets tried to muscle up for a pennant drive by getting Guillermo Mota.

[MFS62]

Edgy DC wrote: but the real trick of GM-ing, of course, is finding next season's hero.

Edgy, that should be etched somewhere for the future Mets GM to read.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

And to think, it was just 3 seasons ago that Lee - at age 28 - was sent to the minors in mid-season with a 5-8 record, a 6.38 ERA, a WHiP over 1.5, 35 BBs & 60 Ks over 93 innings, and only going beyond 6 IPs four times in 16 starts.
He didn't return to Cleveland until September where he appeared in just four games of mop-up relief.

The next year he went 22-3 and won the CY award.
Go figure.

[Lefty Specialist]

Frayed Knot wrote: And to think, it was just 3 seasons ago that Lee - at age 28 - was sent to the minors in mid-season with a 5-8 record, a 6.38 ERA, a WHiP over 1.5, 35 BBs & 60 Ks over 93 innings, and only going beyond 6 IPs four times in 16 starts. He didn't return to Cleveland until September where he appeared in just four games of mop-up relief. The next year he went 22-3 and won the CY award. Go figure.

Gee, maybe we should hang on to Oliver Perez.












Aaaaaaah, just kidding.

[smg58]

Frayed Knot wrote: And to think, it was just 3 seasons ago that Lee - at age 28 - was sent to the minors in mid-season with a 5-8 record, a 6.38 ERA, a WHiP over 1.5, 35 BBs & 60 Ks over 93 innings, and only going beyond 6 IPs four times in 16 starts. He didn't return to Cleveland until September where he appeared in just four games of mop-up relief. The next year he went 22-3 and won the CY award. Go figure.

And the Indians couldn't give him away that offseason. If I remember right, the Mets were actually one of the teams they talked to. Funny how things work sometimes.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Yeah, but, in fairness, he did tear his groin that year.