Today over at the Philly Daily News, columnist Rich Hoffman broaches a subject that many of us dare not speak of: Could Cliff Lee signing in Philadelphia somehow be a bad thing?
At first blush, that notion seems like nothing more than the fodder of a bored columnist, but it’s an interesting piece, and not completely out of school, as I (and others) have thought the same thing. Should Cliff Lee wind up with the Phillies again in 2011, and assuming that Halladay, Hamels and Oswalt are healthy, then does the blessing of four bonafide Aces become a curse of personal gain and hubris? After all, professional athletes are just like us insomuch as they are people with wants and needs and desires are not above feeling jaded or jealous.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve no doubt that Roy, Cole, Roy and Cliff would be professional in dealing with the slotting order of the starters (and really, I think the whole “Opening Day starter” thing is way overblown), but Hoffman makes a good point: What happens in October?
But here is the question I ask: which one is the fourth starter in the post-season?
…
What if Halladay were the one who looked the most gassed as October approached? There is no way on earth that Charlie Manuel would be able to call him into the office and tell him that he’s the fourth starter. The same with Lee, who will have signed the longest, biggest-money deal if he were to return. All of which would leave Oswalt and Hamels locked into a competition for which neither of them ever would have signed up if given the chance — oh, and Hamels, when all is said and done, is the guy who is going to be here longer than any of them.
Hoffman goes on to clarify that he’d prefer the cash is spent on the rest of the roster, like the lefty-heavy lineup and the bullpen, but his take on having four Aces does pose a valid concern, but one more akin to “Do you mind if your diamond shoes are too tight?” rather than “Would you rather walk 10 miles in a foot of snow or a foot of mud?”
Still, if this is the biggest problem facing the team when the 2011 playoffs roll around, we can all agree that we’ve got it pretty good.
Original Story:
http://www.thefightins.com/tr-pierce/...
