I've been flip flopping left and right on the NL Cy Young award ever since it became clear in April that there were going to be a LOT of contenders.For most of the year it looked like Ubaldo Jimenez's to lose.
Then Josh Johnson looked like the front runner and more recently I've been leaning towards Adam Wainwright.
But when the dust settles, and if the Phillies continue their huge comeback, it could very well be Roy Halladays. And yesterday's performance convinces me he might be the guy.
"BUT WAIT!" Say all the stats people. "He let up 5 runs today! He didn't have his best stuff yesterday! Yesterday was a subpar performance!"
Yes, I know that... and he still pitched well enough to win, take pressure off of the bullpen and keep the Phillies winning ways alive, taking the series from the Mets.
While a lot of stats people think baseball is played in a vacuum and things like "run support" and "winning the game" are irrelevant, I think it shows something from your ace when they don't have their best stuff and can hold on to win anyway.
I know that makes me irrelevant, but I have a feeling the team was grateful and the bullpen was happy.
Yeah, his run total was high, but he gave them 7 innings, struck out 10 and walked 1. (Isn't strike outs to walks a coveted stat?)
His WHIP is 4th in the NL.
For those who value wins (remember, the point of the game?) he has the third highest total behind Jimenez and Wainwright.
For those who like strikeouts, he has the most in the NL.
Nobody has pitched more innings in all of baseball (he should pass 200 innings before Labor Day.)
Nobody has completed more games or thrown more shutouts in all of baseball.
And oh yeah... since they hit rock bottom and were on the verge of being a .500 team in late July... he's gone 4-0, averaging more than 7 2/3 a start and a 2.03 ERA (and that includes the 5 runs today). He's also striking out better than 1 an inning. And he's winning games the Phillies NEED as they will probably make up a 7 game deficit and in all likely hood he'll be the ace of the Division Champion.
Not that those sort of things matter any more.
Before you crown the Phillies NL East Champs, remember that the Phils and Braves play head to head 6 times in the last two weeks of the season. Just sayin'.
ReplyDeletei still grieve the Cliff Lee debacle. and ironically, whereas Cliff was more cocksure in the manner of the original gambler/gunfighter Doc Holliday (at least as Val Kilmer portrayed him on film), Roy is straight up Wyatt Earp-- the law.
ReplyDeletehe's laid it down so well, he's given cover for Cole Hamels to blossom into a superb #2 pitcher, which is really all he ever was going to be.
well done, Sully. just promise me you'll give Arthur Rhodes your #5 spot.