In the midst of a fascinating 2010 MLB postseason, full of amazing pitching duels and claws and antlers, I can't fight my inevitable trip into a 2007 relapse.
People from Cleveland, if they haven't forced themselves to forget, will remember this year as the Indians were up three games to one against the Red Sox in the ALCS. The last three games of that series turned out to be a mess, as no one on the mound stepped up to the challenge of propelling us to a World Series. C.C. Sabathia, Fausto Carmona and Jake Westbrook all were given the opportunity to close the door on the Red Sox, but all came up short.
Now, I was fully able to move on from this ordeal and I promised myself I'd be quite alright. When I left the postseason I'd be completely restored to my normal, terrible old self. But maybe I'd be a little bit wiser for the wear (Willy Wonka quote). However, these past two post-seasons have featured several former Indians players from Jim Thome to Kelly Shoppach. But one former member of the Tribe has turned the playoffs into something unseen before. A Mr. Clifford Lee, now advancing to his second consecutive World Series appearance, is a perfect 7-0 in his first seven playoff performances. In each start he pitches as if he is throwing against high school players, befuddling and baffling with insane control.
Cliff Lee really propelled himself into the spotlight with his unbelievable 2008 season. Everyone remembers his dominant 22-3 W-L record and his miniscule 2.54 ERA, but I ask you, painfully, to remember further beyond that season of genius.
In Cliff's first three full seasons, he won 14 games with an 18 win season sandwiched in there. He had shown signs of promise, but nothing of what we are seeing now. Then came 2007. When Everything seemed to be going right for the Tribe, Lee was the only thing wrong. Days before the trade deadline in July, Lee and his 6+ ERA were banished to the minors. Apparently, Lee never showed up to Buffalo, but instead joined the League of Shadows where Ra's al Ghul showed him the key to mastering the strikezone.
Cliff was a phoenix gloriously rising from the ashes of mediocrity and despair and he is now soaring at the highest levels of baseball lore.
A great story of redemption for Clifford, but what gets lost is that his period of rebirth took place during the same time in which the Indians were making their push to the playoffs. Cliff rejoined the team in September, but never returned to the rotation. He stayed in the bullpen for the rest of the regular season. The real horror of this tale is now revealing itself. When the Indians were sitting pretty up 3-1 in the 2007 ALCS, we needed one solid pitching performance to enter the World Series and face a Colorado team that was far inferior to the men of Erie. A sure World Series victory and a championship team for the troubled city of Cleveland. But while C.C. , Fausto, and Jake all failed to come through, a Mr. Clifford Lee sat on the bench and twiddled his thumbs. And the question is now, when did Cliff officially turn into the superhero he is today? Was it in his preparation and offseason before the 2008 season, or, perhaps, was the trip to the minors the wake-up call? Was Batman sitting on the bench while the Joker stole our trip to the World Series?
Now at 7-0 with a 1.26 ERA and a gaudy 9.57 K/BB ratio, Lee has yet to make a playoff mistake. All the Indians needed was one of those seven stellar performances, and the world would be a different place today.
I will leave the topic of how the Indians drafted Tim Lincecum for another post.
No comments:
Post a Comment