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As a Mets fan, it pains me to put this in writing.  In fact, I think I am currently throwing up in my mouth as I type.  But I believe that Roy Halladay has to be the best pitcher in baseball and deserved the unanimous vote for the 2010 Cy Young.  First off, I will just give you the numbers.

21-10

2.44 ERA

1.04 WHIP

219 Ks

1 Perfect Game.

1 Playoff No Hitter (only the second in playoff history)

9 Complete games

What has always awed me was the fact that the manager, whether Manuel or Gaston, can easily rely on Halladay to complete 1/2 of his games.  In the past three years he has 27 complete games, 10 more than anyone else.  This is at a time where many pitchers might have one or two throughout the entire season.

Roy Halladay has been a stud since 2002.  What made me realize how dominant he is was a short special on the MLB network.  They were reviewing the CY Young voting and talked of his past.  In 2001, he was dropped of the MLB roster, as the Blue Jays sent him back to the minors, and not to AAA but to their Single A affiliate.  Since he has returned to the major league roster, he has now won two Cy Young awards, one in each league, as well as been in the top five for voting.

My personal Roy Halladay experience came this summer.  My wife, as well as Keith’s, bought us Mets/Phillies tickets for an August game in NYC.  This was our first time there, and I should write a post about our experience there, but we also were able to see a game in lovely Citi Field.  The pitching match-up was ripe for a no hitter, with the masterful Halladay pitching against future HOF pitcher Pat Mitsch (ok probably not).  The game was over in about 2 1/2 hours.  Seriously, Halladay just mowed them down, one by one, running through innings, in no time flat.  Our wives missed three innings just by going to the concession stand.

So where does Doc Halladay rank as active pitchers in baseball?  Unfortunately, he is currently the best pitcher in the planet.

So first of all I’d like to apologize for my absence from the site (although I’m quite certain my brothers did fine in my stead). Working full time, coaching, and finishing up a master’s program is a little more time consuming than I at first expected.

Now onto the issue at hand. I’d like to express my enthusiasm on getting Roy Halladay and at the same time my sadness at losing Cliff Lee. What an ideal rotation it would have been to have Halladay, Lee, Hamels, Haap and whoever they chose as their fifth starter. Unfortunately the powers that be did not think this was a reality.

Now, many people have asked me for my opinion. Many of these same people made comments about how much better it would have been to get Halladay the first time around and now are insisting this is a bad move.

While Lee’s postseason run was epic it is no way a guarantee that he’ll repeat this effort year after year. Yes I know he’s won a Cy Young award but, he has also been demoted to the minors so consistency has been a concern. That being said, it was not my concern but it is legitimate. I also got the impression that Lee’s agent was playing hard ball and wanting a Sabathia style contract but that’s neither here nor there. There was no promise of having Lee in Philadelphia after this year and despite his comments to stay apparently Ruben Amaro Jr. did not see the reality of this either.

As far as Halladay goes, you’re getting a pitcher who is just as much of a work horse. Throws complete games like he’s from the golden age of baseball, has a nice compliment of pitches to chose from, put up great numbers while pitching in Toronto, and has had much success and has while facing the Red Sox and Yankees for about a third of his starts. That’s not exactly having the runner up for homecoming queen as a date now.

Unfortunately Lee’s time in a Phillies uniform has endeared him to many Phillies fans (myself included). And quite possibly an injury to one or both pitchers could make this argument look very different, however, the extension Halladay signed allows the Phillies to be competitive for years to come and also still gives them money to play with down the road.

I think this was in many ways a lateral move (as they moved one ace and obtained another) but it also has long-term potential to solidify the Phillies as dynasty in the years to come.  I think Halladay, despite being a year older, has the slight edge since his numbers have been great against a tough AL East and most of Lee’s numbers match up with the AL Central.  In the end it could be a wash either way, or it could turn out to be a bust. 

Pitchers and catchers is right around the corner and then it’s time for spring training. Bring on the hard ball…it’s been a long winter without baseball and I’m ready to watch the defense of that NL championship.

Being a die hard Phillies fan (as you may have guessed from my brother’s derogatory statements on this site) living in a passionate Red Sox Nation hasn’t been easy on me. I’m also sure that I haven’t been the easiest non-Sox fan to live with either (apologies to my understanding wife).

But tonight I implore all of you members of Red Sox Nation to relive the glory days. Find that love in your heart for the self-proclaimed “Old Goat”.  Pedro is taking the mound in the Stadium that George built, quite possibly for the very last time in his hall of fame career. I’m asking you to put away any anger or resentment you might have (this means you too Alan, for after all this wouldn’t have been possible if the Mets didn’t fund these surgeries…so in a way this game belongs to you as well) and embrace that glowing smile, and the arm of Pedro.

Let two nations become one, at least for tonight. Phillies Nation and Red Sox Nation, bound by more than Pedro, but by a common hatred for tonight’s opponent. I know I will be waiting for every pitch, every out, and every inning with bated breath. I will frequently hear my wife tell me to calm down yet it will be to no avail.  My blood pressure will ebb and flow with every second that passes, as I’m sure will all of yours will as well.

So please, let’s all join hands…cause I believe that Pedro is our future. Love him well and let him lead the way…(I’m sure Whitney would approve of me altering her lyrics this one time).

This game 6 is momentous, we can worry about tomorrow when tomorrow gets here. For me today, every breath and thought will be for tonight’s game, and I hope you’ll all join me.