Kuzul

It has been reported that Brandon Webb has reached a one-year agreement with the Texas Rangers.

The contract has a $3 million base salary, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney.

The Rangers were in the running for the great Cliff Lee, but he ultimately shunned them for the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Rangers had a lot to offer Lee, who just missed out once again on a World Series ring.

The Rangers played fantastic throughout 2010 and should field the top team in the AL West in 2011.

They may not have Cliff Lee to lead the rotation, but they just picked up a potential Comeback Player of the Year candidate.

Brandon Webb was once viewed as one of the best pitchers in all of baseball just a few short years ago.

Webb, 31 years old, has not played since the first game of the 2009 season when he suffered a shoulder injury.

Webb won the NL Cy Young award in 2006 but failed to show much improvement towards the end of the 2010 season and never saw the field.

Webb is determined to get back to being one of the top pitchers in all of baseball.

Webb has immense talent and we have seen pitchers come back from worse injuries before.

The Rangers will hope Webb can regain his velocity in time for Opening Day. Even if Webb isn’t ready for the first month or two of the season, the Rangers have the talent to still compete in the AL West while they wait for Webb. If Webb can stay healthy and come close to matching his 2008 form, the Rangers will be smiling from ear to ear.

In 2008, Webb was 22-7 with a 3.30 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 226.2 innings pitched.

Webb has a 70-37 record with an average ERA of 3.24 and 1.20 WHIP in 231.58 innings pitched from 2005-2008.

Texas may have picked up the biggest steal in this free-agency period.

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The Philadelphia Phillies:

After all the articles about how great the Philiadelphia Phillies are (I still don’t see the 2010 WS trophy with their team on it), there have been some signings and trades in the off season that has gotten the attention of quite a few baseball fans. Most of them were over-shadowed with a bias for a team that has yet to prove they are the best. 

Yes, I am anti-anyone who is crowed champion before the season starts.  Also I am sick of the argument that a team who is not the best still wins the championship.  Look, if they win the whole magilla, guess what? They’re the best.  Don’t twist the stats around and tell me on paper that your team or their team is better, just deal with the fact that last year’s team is the best team period. 

Now, checking out all of these rotations I want to show how close it really is, and how competitive this year’s NL will be regardless of what all the “homers” try and tell you from the east coast. 

I will also include a list of who’s-who of off season additions:

RH Roy Halladay … 21-10, 2.44 ERA,

LH Cliff Lee … 12-9, 3.18 ERA,

RH Roy Oswalt … 13-13, 2.76 ERA

LH Cole Hamels … 12-11, 3.06 ERA

TOTALS … 58-43, 2.84 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 4.93 K/BB

Let’s take a trip down memory lane….

The NLCS: Game 1: Lincecum W, Halladay L

Game 2: Oswalt W, Sanchez L

Game 3: Cain W, Hamels L

Game 4: Wilson W, Oswalt L

Game 5: Halladay W, Lincecum L

Halladay and Oswalt both .500 in the NLCS.  But to no avail the Giants of Frisco defeat the Phillies in game 6.  Proof is in the pudding there, the Phillies are not the better team.  With the loss of Jayson Werth, they will struggle to replace that 85 RBI’s and 27 HRs.  With the addition of Lee, Perhaps they can hold their opponents long enough to compensate.

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The last coals have just about burned out in the Hot Stove for this winter.

The New York Yankees made no significant trades or free agent signings.

As a result, Yankee fans should be very concerned about the upcoming season.

To begin with, Brian Cashman and the rest of the Yankee brass put all their eggs in one basket and nothing hatched.  It is well documented that the primary gameplan was to sign Cliff Lee and they failed. The only good thing that can be said about Lee is that he left the American League.

There were not many good options for front line pitchers after Lee.  But Cashman failed to sign anybody.

The only addition to the Yankee starting rotation for 2011 is that Javier Vazquez is gone, hopefully for good.  If there was ever a time to speak of addition by subtraction, this is the time. But of course, we all thought Vazquez was gone for good after the 2004 season only to see Cashman trade for him last winter.

Andy Pettitte has not re-signed and Cashman has said the Yankees are resigned to losing him to retirement. That is a major loss for the team.

The Yankees could have signed Carl Crawford. But Cashman was so intent on Lee that he did not attempt to sign Crawford until he was gone to the arch-rival Red Sox.   Now Yankee pitching will have to face him in 19 games that will be even more important than when he was playing in Tampa Bay.

The Yankees might have signed Jayson Werth. But again, he was allowed to go somewhere else without much attention being given to him. Again, as with Lee, at least he didn’t sign with an AL club where he could haunt the Yankees repeatedly.

Cashman said he was very well satisfied with Brett Gardner, Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher in the the outfield. Puzzling is the best way I can analyze this. When you could have added Crawford or Werth for just money, you are satisfied with Gardner, Granderson and Swisher?

Do Gardner, Granderson and Swisher really embue anyone with great confidence in the Yankee outfield? Not this observer.

The Yankees have the greatest infield in the game and perhaps in the history of the game. All four players have Gold Gloves and all are among the most productive offensive players at their position. 

However, there are reasons for concern even among this glorious quartet. 

To begin, Mark Teixeira, was oft-injured last season and one now must at least wonder if he is less durable than once thought. 

And his propensity to start slowly has become a real problem. Games won in April and May count the same as games won in September.  Tex has done very little early in the last two seasons to help the Yanks win in the early months.

Robinson Cano is one of the truly great stars of the game, both offensively and defensively.  But after one of the hottest starts in memory, Robbie saw a reduction in production every month of the season. He filled the five spot in the order magnificently.

But is there any room for improvement?  Can he continue to perform at the level he showed last year?  Questions that can only be answered over time.

Derek Jeter is a year older. So is A-Rod. Realistically, anyone who thinks on this subject objectively has to expect some reduction in performance from these two great players. 

Will Jeter hit .270 again? No. He will hit much better in 2011.  But will he hit .320 again? Doubtful.  And his defense will not continue to be as good as it has been.

A-Rod shows signs of wear as well. When you see him run the bases you understand that the hip or something is still bothering him.  Or perhaps it is more accurate to say he is limited by the injury.  His power numbers were down to some extent. And he is not as good in the field as he used to be.

Jorge Posada will be the full-time DH, and he does not like it. I don’t care that the media says Cashman met with Jorge and everything is fine. Posada was surly with limited time behind the plate last year. 

He will be worse than Walter Matthau in Grumpy Old Men in 2011.  He will be poison to the team next year. Posada has also been injured frequently over the past three years and he will enter 2011 at age 39.  He will not be what the Yankees want as a DH.

Everyone should be happy with CC Sabathia heading up your starting rotation. CC just came off knee surgery. There is no reason to believe he won’t make a full recovery.

But CC has carried a load of innings over the past several years as no other pitcher has.  There have been many concerns expressed that at some point it has to catch up with him. Was the tear in his meniscus only the first indication that wear and tear is catching up.

Phil Hughes was great in 2010. He is young, healthy and has been over protected against too much work. But to expect him to repeat his 2010 performance is expecting a lot. If he has 18 wins, that will be fantastic. Don’t expect any more from Phil.

There are not enough psychiatrists in New York City to fix AJ Burnett. Talk of Dave Eiland working with AJ after Eiland’s return to the team are meaningless now since Eiland was fired.  No one knows what new pitching coach Larry Rothschild will do.

But AJ’s problem is not with his arm or his slot or his mechanics. AJ Burnett’s problem is between his ears. Don’t expect anything any different out of Burnett in 2011 than what you saw in 2010.

Ivan Nova, Sergio Mitre and a handful of lesser knowns are the most likely choices to join CC, AJ and Phil in the rotation. There is nothing to give us Yankee fans much hope here.

The brass will have to rebuild the bench. Gone are Lance Berkman and Marcus Thames. Ramiro Pena and Eduardo Nunez are still Yankee hands, but don’t expect too much.

Signing Johnny Damon is ridiculous and only slightly less ridiculous than signing Manny Ramirez. Neither one of those signing is going to happen.  Nor should they.

Another major cause for worry is that the Yankees signed Russell Martin to whom the Dodgers gave an outright release.  What that says is that Jesus Montero is not ready to catch in the bigs. If Martin is the answer, somebody is asking the wrong question.

One final area which has already caused problems for the Yankees in 2010 and will resonate for years to come arose in this offseason.

The Yankees treated Derek Jeter shabbily. Yes, they ended up signing Jete to a contract that pays more than he is worth on the field and recognizes his past accomplishments and intangible contributions to the franchise.

But the method used to arrive at the contract and the impact on Jeter will hurt the Yankees for years to come.

If you could get Cliff Lee or Carl Crawford to talk about it, I would bet that they would mention how Cashman and the Steinbrenners and Randy Levine treated Jeter during the contract negotiations.

“It’s going to get messy…” “Shop it around….” 

Can’t you just imagine Cliff Lee sitting at dinner with his beautiful wife and asking:  “If they treated Derek Jeter like that, how are they going to treat us?”

The Yankees have a great many problems.

There are a lot of reasons for Yankee fans to worry about 2011 and seasons to come.

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When Cliff Lee signed with the Philadelphia Phillies for five years and $120 million earlier this offseason, he left a little bit of money and a couple years on the table.

The Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees both would have given Lee more money and seven years on a contract.

But Lee felt more comfortable in Philly, so he gave them a discount (though once you are over $100 million, what’s it matter if you make an extra $10 million?).

Lee certainly isn’t the first baseball player who has left money on the table during contract negotiations.

Here are the top 10 Major League Baseball players of all time who have signed for less than they were worth.

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On the mound:

The Yankees will be fine without Cliff Lee. The Yankees don’t NEED Cliff Lee. Would they have liked to have signed him? Of course. Who wouldn’t have? Having C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, a young 19-game winner in Phil Hughes and possibly Andy Pettitte should be enough for the Yanks. They have a young pitcher in Ivan Nova who, if he fixes his sixth inning troubles, should be a solid pitcher.

And if Pettitte doesn’t come back, which seems to be the case, there are a few options for filling his spot in the rotation. According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, “If spring arrived today, New York would head into camp with a group of largely unpredictable candidates to round out the rotation, headlined by Ivan Nova and Sergio Mitre and followed by less likely choices among Andrew Brackman, Dellin Betances, Adam Warren, Hector Noesi and Manny Banuelos.”

Basically, the Yankees will go on with their plans without Pettitte. With the acquisition of Luis Vizciano looking to be a mistake in the making, fans need to remember that he only signed a minor league deal. No big deal. Speaking of minor league deals, the signing of former Cubs ace Mark Prior seemed to be a shock to a lot of Yankee fans. The signing of Pedro Feliciano looks like a good move, seeing as the Yankees were a bit desperate for a southpaw in the ‘pen. As a Mets reliever in 2010, Feliciano posted a 3.30 ERA and 1.53 WHIP in 62.2 innings.

Off the mound:

The acquisition of catcher Russell Martin could be considered a good signing. Martin is a good defensive catcher, which the Yankees are desperate for with the lack of defense and power in Francisco Cervelli and with Jorge Posada moving to the full-time DH position. Martin had a 39 percent caught stealing percentage, as opposed to Cervelli’s 14 percent.

Martin’s defense behind the plate is a positive. But another thing the Yankees can look forward to is the two catching prospects in Austin Romine and Jesus Montero. Two guys that Yankee fans have been waiting, some say too long, to see. GM Brian Cashman is pretty much certain he will not give up Montero for anything.

Austin Romine’s 2010 numbers in Trenton: .268 BA, .726 OPS, 122 H, 31 2B in 115 games. Montero’s 2010 numbers in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre: .289 AVG, .870 OPS, 131 H, 34 2B (third in the IL), 21 HR (fourth in IL) in 123 games.

The Yankees missing out on Carl Crawford isn’t a terrible loss, either. Brett Gardner has the talent. They both had 47 SB in 2010. Gardner matches Crawford’s speed. No doubt. But Crawford’s bat is a little better. Gardner is better at working the count and taking pitches than Crawford. Gardner had 79 walks to Crawford’s 46.

Just because the Yankees didn’t make big deals like they did in 2009 doesn’t mean it’s going to be an unsuccessful season. There is no need to panic, Yankee fans. They have the talent. You can’t get a Mark Teixeira, C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett trio every offseason. The Yankees need to get another “core.” Say Cano, Gardner, Nova, Russo, Montero, Golson, Banuelos, Cervelli, Nunez, etc…? Take your pick. Unfortunately, the only “mistake” they seemed to have made this offseason was to put all their eggs in the Lee basket. But don’t count them out of next season. The Yankees will be fine. They are the Yankees after all.

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The Philadelphia Phillies surprised the baseball world, and perhaps even themselves, when they snatched Cliff Lee on the free agent market a couple weeks ago. 

Not only did the signing seemingly come out of nowhere due to the stealth negotiations, but they undercut the New York Yankees in the process. Ever since Lee appeared headed to test the market, the big money has been on the Yankees to land him for the same reason— big money. 

The Yankees have deep pockets and a long history of paying top dollar to get the players they desire the most. A-Rod, Mark Texeira, CC Sabathia, Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, Dave Winfield, Goose Gossage, and Andy Pettite are just some of the big name, big dollar signings. 

And, if the Bronx Bombers couldn’t entice Sabathia’s ex-Cleveland Indians buddy to sign, the Texas Rangers were poised to offer up the necessary dollars and years to keep the hurler that led them to their first World Series in October. Additionally, Lee loved his brief tenure with the Rangers, the team possessed the talent to win, and Arlington was relatively close to his home. 

Just days earlier, the Phillies lost their own free agent, Jayson Werth, to the Washington Nationals and a monster contract.  

Although they hated to see him go, the Phillies already possessed a payroll that stretched way beyond the limits most would imagine just a year or two ago. They seemed to be in a holding pattern with their salary budget, still trying to get comfortable with what they already had on the books. 

Then, suddenly, word crept out that the Phillies might be a mystery team in the hunt for Lee’s services. In the coming hours, speculation turned to rumor and then to news. 

The Phillies had reached an agreement with Lee pending the customary physical examination as well as the requisite dotting of the i’s and crossing of the t’s.   

With the move, the Phillies had assembled a starting rotation of historic proportions and suddenly went from top contender to the favorites for 2011. 

It was a leap that most long-term Phillies fans could have never imagined. 

Heck, just a year ago, the team dealt Lee away when they acquired Roy Halladay— and even if they wanted to replenish the farm system, most everyone knew the key driver was economics.  

The Lee signing also sent a bright signal that the Phillies have officially become a “big market” team after operating as a “small market” team for virtually all of its 127-year existence. 

The Phillies have ascended to the level of the Yankees and Boston Red Sox- two teams that annually set their sights on winning a championship and make the financial commitment to support that goal. 

And, like those teams, the Phillies appear poised to remain in that stratosphere for the foreseeable future. 

Some could view the situation as a temporary phenomenon that will change as high priced players start to roll-off the payroll, but here are five reasons that the Phils are here to stay for awhile. 

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Ranking the greatest anything of all time is not a simple task.

There are so many variables that must be taken into consideration when ranking an item over the course of time, that often, and in this case, teams that are probably deserving of a spot in the rankings are left out. When ranking MLB’s greatest pitching staffs of all time, the first thing that must be questioned is, what is a pitching staff?

Baseball’s pitching staff has changed so much over the course of time that it is extremely difficult to rank such great teams on an even keeled scale.

The first question you must consider is what constitutes a pitching staff? In today’s game, a pitching staff is like an outline: five starting pitchers that rotate throughout the season, a corps of middle relievers usually limited to one inning, and the team’s two best relievers stocked in the back of the bullpen as the eighth inning set-up man and closer in the ninth inning.

Twenty to 30 years ago, the game was a bit different. Starters were relied on deeper into the game, middle relievers were used more frequently, and closers were less important, but equally as vital.

Now, when you travel back 50 to 60 years, it was unusual for a good starter to not throw a complete game every time he took the mound.

So how is a pitching staff calculated in these rankings?

Firstly, the only time that a pitching staff in these rankings should be considered is the year in which they are listed. For example, a team like the Atlanta Braves had many different variations of that great staff in the ’90s, but only the listed year is the one garnering the ranking.

One thing that hasn’t changed over the course of baseball’s illustrious history is the value of a pitcher. How valuable was a pitcher to the team’s overall success, and how vital was a team’s group of pitchers (the staff) to their overall success?

Sure, any number of SABRmetrics like WAR and FIP are okay barometers of a staff’s value, but how valuable was that group of pitchers to their team in a select time period with completely different circumstances, to that of another time period? For that reason, a team’s ranking will be defined by a number of things:

– Staff’s overall talent.
– Staff’s success.
– Depth of a staff.

With those factors in mind, where do the Philadelphia Phillies’ “Four Horsemen” rank among the greatest staffs of all time?

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I could have sworn everyone was expecting Cliff Lee to go to the team that offered him the most money.  He was supposed to become the second highest-paid Yankee and the third most-overpaid Yankee.

Zack Greinke was supposed to be the consolation prize for the team that lost out on Cliff Lee. He was supposed to mesh well and find comfort with the young base in Texas.

The Yankees and Rangers were not longshots to meet again in October 2011.

But the road to October just got a bit rocky for these two teams.

The Yankees well-documented pitching flaws are legit and barring a resurgence of A.J. Burnett, they might find themselves competing with Tampa (and Oakland, and Texas, and Minnesota, and Chicago and maybe the Angels) for the wild card. Their problem could compound if CC Sabathia goes back on his word that he won’t exercise his opt-out clause next year.

The strongest teams have potent dual aces. No one gets by with an ace, a number three and Sergio Mitre.

The Rangers, meanwhile, are also without the ace that carried them to the playoffs. Their corps of number two starters—or worse—will not carry them far. CJ Wilson overachieved. Tommy Hunter is overrated. Scott Feldman’s career year is in the rear-view mirror. 

And the losses in Texas and New York have turned into gains in Boston, Oakland, L.A., and Tampa.

Boston’s list of 2010 offseason victories could fill a small newspaper. Brian Cashman’s hair will grow a little thinner and Nolan Ryan’s face will have new wrinkles come June, when the next major bidding war centers around Carlos Zambrano or Matt Garza.

Talented pitchers, yes, but not Lee or Greinke.

How did we so misunderstand Cliff Lee? He had nice things to say about the Yankees when he became a Ranger. Quotes popped up alluding to his desire for the most riches spread over the most years. One quote said that if one team offered him one dollar more than his next-highest offer, he would join them.

But he settled for $40,000,000 less and potentially one year less to become a Philly again.

And why shouldn’t he?

After all, comfort is key to performing on the field and having fun while doing so. The Phillies already had a near-brilliant rotation. He could join Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt. That sounds a little better than Sabathia, Burnett, Hughes. And a little better than Lewis, Wilson, Hunter.

Actually, it sounds a lot better than both alternatives put together.

It seems as though everyone was expecting Cliff Lee to go to the team that offered him the most money and the most years. Did anyone doubt that would be the Yankees? Yet, Cliff Lee was sorely misunderstood and, in hindsight, maybe we should have seen something like this coming.

It took him a long time to make a decision.

There were some signals that he might not fit in with the Yankees. Rowdy fans spat on his wife during the playoffs. He responded sarcastically (and winningly) to Michael Kay calling it “childish” that Cliff Lee doesn’t change caps when the one he’s using begins to show wear.

The Yankee brass can be an uptight bunch and that could be offputting to a new player, especially one as laid back as Lee.

And at the end of the day, the childish ones were the Yankees. My beloved Yankees who, for far too long, have wielded a wallet stocked, devoid of common sense. This has been a team that chases the elite free agents and pays them handsomely, well after they are done being elite players. They too often fail to develop homegrown talent, chasing immediate glory time and time again.

This time they lost. Twice.

One lesson to take from this is that some people are underwhelmed with the luster of pinstripes. That is a lesson we all should have learned long ago, but Cliff Lee serves as a reminder.

Zack Greinke should serve as a reminder that some people may be overwhelmed by the stripes. The Yankees pulled the plug on negotiations with the Royals for fear that Greinke might not be able to handle the spotlight.

Maybe they were right. He did miss a year due to extreme anxiety.

But let’s not jump to the conclusion that the Yankees are doomed.

Their lineup can still mash with the best of them. It is a lineup without holes, an offensive force whose greatest need is someone to back up the regulars—a need that will easily be filled. They have one of the top pitchers in the game already. They have one of the best relief pitchers ever.

They will win 90 games this year and still might call it a failure.

Anyway, Cliff Lee is human and can be beaten. Zack Greinke was a mere mortal in 2010. In three years Cliff Lee will be a very rich Andy Pettitte-type pitcher. No one cowers at the thought of facing Pettitte, as good a pitcher as he still is.

Over the next couple of years, however, the Phillies and Brewers have signed up for meaningful games in September.

The Phillies should bulldoze their way over their division rivals. They are still stronger than the Braves, barring mammoth seasons by Uggla and Heyward, and head and shoulders above the other three teams.

The Brewers should be able to hang with the Reds, but might not be able to catch St. Louis. What we do know is that they will make a run at the NL Central title and that means more work for the Cardinals. More work for the Reds. It means the Cubs and Astros are even further away.

And it means a very lucky Zack Greinke will get to face Pittsburgh two or three times.

Cliff Lee and Zack Greinke did not simply realign the NL Central race and make the Phillies the team to beat in the NL.

It represented a shift away from the allure of the almighty dollar and the proven winners. The best pitcher available chose old friends, good times, and the best rotation in baseball over an overstuffed Yankee contract. The second best pitcher in baseball wound up in a destination no one expected and now probably feels stupid because it’s nearly a perfect fit for him.

Funny how things worked out.

I know I’m going to think twice before I convince myself where the next big free agent is going to wind up.

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The Boston Red Sox made their moves. Trading for Adrian Gonzalez and signing Carl Crawford has transformed the Red Sox from one of the better offensive teams in the league into the most feared lineup in the American League.

The Philadelphia Phillies stole Cliff Lee right out from under the Yankees’ nose. Imagine facing a playoff rotation of Lee, Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels.

Now that Lee is off the board, New York has to turn elsewhere to fill glaring holes in the rotation. The Yankees are also thin in proven players off the bench and right handed relief pitchers.

The Yankees had $20 million per year earmarked for Lee. Clearly, no one can doubt that New York has the money to spend.

The question becomes: are there any free agents or trade targets worth signing or relinquishing prospects for? The signing of Russell Martin could have been a clue that one of New York’s catching prospects is on the block.

With Andy Pettitte leaning towards retirement, the rotation is questionable beyond CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett. Burnett was simply awful last season, and Hughes struggled late down the stretch.

As Brian Cashman described the situation, “Bottom line is there is a price to pay for waiting for Cliff Lee. Now, part of that price is definitely going to be loss of previous opportunities that (existed). At the same time, now it’s going to have to be some patience.

“Now, it’s going to be a steeper mountain to climb, which is fine, because we can climb it. Steeper meaning it’s going to take a longer way to get there. It’s a harder road to travel. That’s OK. You can still get there.”

The Yankees may be looking at some veterans coming off of medical troubles in recent years. Both Freddy Garcia and Brandon Webb have been rumored to be on New York’s radar. Another rumor has the Yankees interested in lefty Jeff Francis with Pettitte leaning towards retirement.

New York may also look to within the organization to fill the last two rotation spots. Ivan Nova had some success as a starter, but did not get passed the sixth inning in a single start. Sergio Mitre started 27 games for the Florida Marlins in 2007 compiling a 4.65 ERA. Some other considerations could be Hector Noesi, David Phelps or Andrew Brackman.

Even if New York enters the season with an underwhelming rotation, it would not be surprising to see the Yankees pull of a trade for a top of the rotation starter by midseason. Despite an unbelievable lineup, New York’s starting pitching struggled in the postseason, and Cashman realizes that the current rotation cannot hold up in a playoff series.

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Consider this piece more of a memoir than anything else.  My childhood with the Phillies was always adventurous but often ugly.  The Phillies were constantly a losing team and never broke the bank to go out and sign any big-name free agents.  At the time, we knew they weren’t the New York Yankees, nor were we asking them to be.  We just wanted to know that they had a desire to someday win.

This all changed in 2003 when they signed Jim Thome and closed out the Vet.  Then, in the following off-season, they added Billy Wagner to fill the void of closer and open Citizens Bank Park.  This told the fans that the Phillies wanted to win and apparently now had the funds to do so.  

A lot has changed since those “dog days.”  Philadelphia is now the place to play and you can somewhat thank Thome for helping put Philly on the map.  During the Phillies’ period of misery while at the Vet, you’d be lucky to see 20,000 people down at the ballpark.  My father and I would venture out to the 700 level of rightfield with our $7.00 General Admission tickets.  Those days were enjoyable but also bitter and painful.  Someday though, we knew that the Phillies would turn it around. 

Well, today that period of misery is long gone.  The Phillies are now a marquee team in baseball and have made the playoffs four years running.  They sell out just about every game as tickets are nearly impossible to come by.

They now have (on paper) one of the best rotations of all time.  Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels will be a formidable foursome for the Fightin’ Phils in 2011.  

Through their minor league system, they were able to develop loads of young talent.  This is a pool that includes Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Hamels, Jimmy Rollins and Dominic Brown among others.

Those sad days weren’t that long ago, but are now in the rear-view mirror.  Misery has been turned into all positives for the Phillies.  They bumped the Yankees off of a “Cliff” and are now looking to return to the World Series in 2011.  Ruben Amaro Jr. deserves a bulk of the praise for such moves as this may be the deepest Phils team ever.

For 14 years, Philadelphia suffered without a playoff appearance.  Now, they’re aiming for a fifth straight playoff appearance and third World Series berth.  What a turnaround for a team that was in the basement for so long.  

In four seasons, they’ve doubled the payroll of this team.  During that time, look at the success that they’ve enjoyed.  

They can actually compete financially with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.  That’s something I never thought we could say.     

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