In appreciation of Cliff Lee

In a season best forgotten, Cliff Lee is having a campaign to cherish. The Tribe lefty ace - officially now as well as on the stat sheet - provided Indians fans with yet another cool breeze tonight in what has been a hot, muggy night of a season. What a difference a year makes. A year ago Lee was laboring through the worst season of his career, having suffered an oblique injury early in the season and struggling to find his way the rest of the year. Indians fans were ready to run Lee out of town - with yours truly volunteering to deliver the eviction notice personally. He was eventually dispatched to Buffalo and then called back up by the Tribe to watch the pennant race from the bullpen bench in September. During the winter he was the fans' No. 1 target to be traded. Tonight - after shutting out the Tampa Bay Rays for six innings - the Tribe's new ace is packing his bags for New York and a likely start in this year's All Star Game. He ends the official first-half of the year with a 12-2 record on a club that is 14 games under .500. He has nearly one-third of the team's 39 wins. He is tied for the league lead in wins and is second in the AL in ERA. He's allowed only 129 baserunners in 125 innings. He's walked only 20 and K'd 106. In short he has put up phenomenal numbers But, the numbers tell only part of the story. Only when you watch Lee on the mound do you get a true feeling for just how dominating he's been, how he attacks the strike zone and is ready to fire the next pitch just as soon as the ball comes back from the catcher. The man who looked so lost just one year ago is throwing with attitude and a cool confidence that has brought him to new heights. It sometimes is easy to let the good things get lost in the disappointment of a season like this one. Cliff Lee is having a season to remember and we shouldn't forget that.