The Proof

Cliff Lee's line from Thursday afternoon in Philadelphia as Your World Champion Philadelphia Phillies took on the Colorado Rockies:

7.0 innings, 6 hits 1 ER, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts. 112 total pitches, 78 strikes, 34 balls.

That is now one run given up by Cliff Lee in 16 innings with Philadelphia, beating currently the top two teams for the wildcard to start his career in the city with the best farm team in the nation off with a bang at 2-0.

And you see, this is exactly what I was talking about last week when I described what a huge, huge win this trade was for us, even compared to the deal proposed by the Blue Jays for Roy Halladay. I said it before and I'll say it again now: Roy Halladay is a better pitcher than Cliff Lee. If he had come to Philly, he'd probably have pitched two complete game shutouts or something, and had 19 strikeouts instead of the mere 15 that Lee has come up with so far. But you know what the Phillies' record would have been in those two blowout performances by Halladay?

2-0.

And that's exactly my point. What ultimately matters is winning games for the Philadelphia Phillies, and we ended up with a guy who has the same record that Halladay would likely have had here in Philly through two games. So for no change whatsoever in our overall wins, we got to keep J.A. Happ -- yesterday's complete-game shutout guy for the Champs -- by trading for Cliff Lee instead.

Oh yeah. And top pitching prospect Doug Drabek, both of whom were being required by the Blue Jays in exchange for Mr. Halladay.

Ruben Amaro, once again I salute you. I thought Raul Ibanez was grand larceny, but damn if you didn't go and top yourself in acquiring Cliff Lee.