Don't overreact.
Don't overreact? Are you kidding me? The Philadelphia Phillies are World Champs - a phrase we're still joyiously getting used to - and they just picked up the reigning American League Cy Young winner.
Don't overreact. He's not Roy Halladay.
That's true, he's younger and cheaper. But he did win 20 games last year.
Yeah, and he's 7-9 this season.
Big woop, he could have easily won 10 to 12. He's got a 3.14 ERA this year and leads the American League in innings pitched.
Boy, you're excited.
Of course I'm excited. WE'RE GOING TO WIN THE WORLD SERIES.
Hey now, simmer down. Wait a minute, did you just use the word "we?" Are you going to pitch for the Phillies?
Sorry about that. Got carried away there. As far as me pitching for the Phillies, well, they seem to be high on southpaws. They do have four left-handed starters now.
Speaking of don't you think that's dangerous? So many lefties. How are they going to contain Manny Ramirez or Alfonso Soriano?
Yeah, I'm concerned about having the reigning AL Cy Young winner, the reigning World Series MVP, a rookie with a 7-1 record, and Jamie Moyer, who's got 10 wins or more for five straight seasons. Plus he's 4-1 with a 3.30 ERA in his last five starts. I don't know how they're going to compete. It's going to be so much tougher now. Seriously, though.
Remember the last time you got this confident? When you thought Freddy Garcia or even Kevin Millwood were going to lead you to the promised land? Where did they take you?
None of those guys joined the Phillies after winning 20 games, let alone the Cy Young. Sure, there's a risk here, but at least the Phillies didn't give up a lot.
Oh no. Just last season you talked about how Jason Donald, Carlos Carrasco and Lou Marsen as being the future of the organization.
Are you kidding me? The future is now. What's Jason Donald, the next Mickey Morandini? At worst, Marsen is the next Mike Lieberthal or Carrasco the Next Brett Myers. Most people are scared Jason Knapp is going to be a staple in the Indians' rotation. But he's at least three years away. By that time Kyle Drabek will be anchoring the rotation and Happ should still be around.
So you're not counting on the Phillies still packaging Happ and Drabek to the Blue Jays for The Good Doctor?
Oh, now there's a thought. When was the last time someone had a rotation like that? The 1998 Yankees with David Cone, David Wells, Andy Pettitte and Orlando Hernandez? Or the 1993-1995 Braves with Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Steve Avery?
Come on, those rotations were much better than Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton/Jamie Moyer/JA Happ.
Plus you don't even have Halladay yet or even the best rotation right now. The Red Sox, Rays, Yankees and, probably, the Braves have better staffs.
But they don't have Pedro Martinez waiting in the wings.
OK, take a breath. The Phillies don't have Roy Halladay, and Pedro Martinez hasn't been good since 2005 or dominant since 2002.
Sure, those are good points, but when was the last time a reigning champion picked up a reigning Cy Young winner?
Was that the 1999 Yankees and Roger Clemens?
That's right? And what did they do?
Um, they repeated.
Correct again. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to make my hotel reservations for a nice October night in Philly.
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