Cliff Lee Shocks Baseball, Signs With The Philadelphia Phillies

So, I guess there was a mystery team after all.

Usually when an agent tells everyone there is a “mystery team,” it’s nine times out of 10 just him trying to make agent speak and trying to drum up interest in his client.

It’s like when a girl tells you she is leaving for another guy. You kind of don’t believe it, but in the end, it proves to be true.

Unfortunately for the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers, there was a mystery team involved in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes, and that team was the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Phillies shocked baseball early this morning when they signed Lee to a five-year, $120 million contract. The contract also includes a vesting option for a sixth year.

I am for one, am shocked. I thought if there really was a mystery team, it would have been the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. I thought they might have been desperate enough to outbid everyone.

I am not shocked, however, that Lee spurned the Yankees. I called this back in November in my Free Agent Primer.

Let’s go back to two winters ago and the CC Sabathia negotiations. It seemed Sabathia had very little interest in pitching in New York. By all accounts, he wanted to stay in California. But because he was a free agent in the most depressed baseball market in years, no other team could afford him except for the Yankees.

Even then, Brian Cashman had to fly to California, bid against himself and practically beg Sabathia to come to NY. If any of the California teams were seriously interested in Sabathia at that time, I would bet he would be pitching with those teams instead of the Yankees right now.

My point is, this time around the Yankees had serious competition and the player they were going after had options. The Yankees weren’t the only game in town.

Lee never showed to have much interest in NY and choose the best situation for him and his family. The key word in that last sentence is “choose.”

Unlike Sabathia, Lee didn’t have to sign with the Yankees out of default.

Lee clearly liked his time spent in Philadelphia back in 2009 and now gives the Phillies a rotation for the ages. Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton and Lee is one ridiculous five-man rotation.

The Phillies now have $147 million tied up into 11 players. Look for them to try to trade Blanton or Raul Ibanez to free up some money.

So the question is, which team lost out more on not getting Lee? The Rangers or the Yankees?

I am going to say the Rangers on this one. Despite the fact that Lee wouldn’t have taken up a good chunk of their payroll, he gave them something they haven’t had in years—a true, bona fide, punch-you-in-the-mouth ace.

Lee made the Rangers a World Series contender. He gave them someone that can walk into any stadium and shut another team down.

Now the Rangers have a bunch of No. 2 and 3 starters in their rotation. That might be good enough to win the division, but, as they found out this season, aces win the World Series, not No. 3 starters.

Expect the “Zack Greinke to the Rangers” trade rumors to heat up.

The reason the Yankees don’t hurt as much as the Rangers do in this one is because they still have Sabathia and Phil Hughes. Would Lee have shifted the balance of power back in the Yankees’ favor in the AL East? Yes it would have. But it’s not the end of the world.

Expect the Yankees to bring back Andy Pettitte to fill out the rotation. I don’t expect them to pursue Greinke at all.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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Cliff Lee To The Philadelphia Phillies Means What To The Atlanta Braves?

Just when you thought it was safe to say the Atlanta Braves were serious contenders to topple the Philadelphia Phillies from the top of the NL East, the Phillies pull a magic rabbit out of the hat. 

The rabbit in the form of former Texas Ranger ace, Cliff Lee.

Lee was reportedly close to signing a mega-deal with either the Rangers or New York Yankees for seven years, $138 million. 

Yet, the Phillies—like a thief in the night—came in from nowhere and got Lee for less money and a shorter deal.  It is reported Philadelphia will pay the lefty $120 million over the next five years. 

It is truly highway robbery when you consider the Phils rotation will now consist of Cy Young-winner Roy Halladay, former World Series MVP Cole Hammels, two-time 20-game-winner Roy Oswalt and 2008 AL Cy Young award-winner Cliff Lee.

The Lee signing comes on the heels of Philadelphia losing outfielder Jayson Werth to the Washington Nationals via free agency and the Atlanta Braves, the Phillies’ biggest threat to unseat them from the top of the NL East, traded for All-Star second baseman Dan Uggla to bolster their offense.

It appeared the Braves had gotten much better and the Phillies had gotten worse, until Tuesday morning. 

With the addition of Cliff Lee to Philadelphia’s rotation, it once again makes Philly head and shoulders above anyone in their division, including the Atlanta Braves. 

What does this mean for the Braves? 

It means come September the Braves will once again be looking up at the Phillies trying to run them down in the NL East, and instead will end up with a wild card berth for 2011.

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Cliff Lee Delivers Some Shock and Awe With Philly Finale

Cliff Lee shocked ’em, didn’t he?

He left the Texas Rangers scratching their heads.

He left the New York Yankees in a state of offseason panic, wondering what to do now.

He did the unthinkable, the improbable, the unforeseeable.

He left $30 million on the table to go to the City of Brotherly Love, a place that he deemed a good fit for him, a place of comfort, a place where he will make the pitching staff the strongest in all of Major League Baseball.

What a novel idea! Take a lower offer, do what feels good to you.

It may not be that novel, after all, once you reach that $100 million plateau, what’s another $30 million? Makes you think back to Bud Fox asking Gordon Gekko in the original Wall Street movie: “How many yachts can you ski behind, Gordon?”

Yeah, you’d figure a guy who lives in Arkansas can do that. Leave $30 million on the table and prove that you can go home again.

The Yanks and Rangers never saw this one coming.

The Rangers and the Yankees, like two big-stake poker players, were staring at each other across the table. At the last moment, it’s as if James Bond walked into the casino, joined the game at the last moment, then stole the pot, or in this case, stole Cliff Lee.

The Yankees pushed probably $150 million worth of chips into the middle of the table, the Rangers equalled it then raised the ante to $161 million, reportedly.

Little did those two high-rollers realize that Lee would choose the best hand, the team holding three aces—the two Roys—Halladay and Oswalt—and Cole Hamels. Aces high.

Best staff ever in Major League Baseball? You’d be hard-pressed to equal it unless you go back to the Jim Palmer-era Orioles or the Greg Maddux Braves.

These Phillies are now simply loaded for bear and the only downside is that come the eighth or ninth inning, the Phils may have to put the baseball in the hands of a lesser pitcher in a close contest.

Still, you gotta love how miffed Brian Cashman must feel today. And no doubt Nolan Ryan needs some sort of stomach antacid.

The Players Union has to hate this. Signing for less money?  How dare he!

In the end, at the 11th hour, Lee didn’t take what was behind door No. 1 or door No. 2, and to the surprise of just about everyone, he revealed that there was actually a door No. 3.

Shock and awesome, baby.

He took less money and came up with the novel idea that Greed Isn’t Good.

Sorry Gordon.

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MLB Rumors: Cliff Lee Phillies Signing, Zack Greinke and More

MLB Rumors are starting to turn into fact.

Cliff Lee has a familiar new home for the 2011 season (and far beyond).

Where does that leave Zack Greinke, who many would consider the next in line to be shopped to a contender?

But Greinke and Lee aren’t the only ones out there who could be changing addresses.

As free agency continues on there will be much more dealing by general managers desperate to make their team better.

And since things seem to be changing by the minute, we will try to keep you informed of what is taking place out there on this Tuesday morning.

Check out these quick hits.

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Cliff Lee Is Back! Christmas Comes Early for the Phillies

Many Phillies fan’s rolled out of bed this morning and had to pinch themselves to make sure they were not dreaming. 

Next, came a glance at the calendar to verify that they had not time travelled to April Fool’s Day. 

And when all that was done, the reality hit like a freight train, only in a good way.  Sleepy eyes widened and fans began to jump for joy! 

Cliff Lee is back!

Phillies fans were treated to the exact same mind-boggling experience last offseason, just without the happy ending. Lee was sent to Seattle to free up prospects and acquire Roy Halladay which was a serious shock. 

It takes a big man to admit he was wrong. Not only has GM Ruben Amaro Jr. done that, he has redeemed himself completely with this signing.

And Cliff Lee has just established himself as almost God-like in the still sleepy eyes of Phillies fans everywhere. Lee accepted less money and fewer years to come back to Philadelphia simply because he loved it here. His wife Kristen loved it here. 

And Philadelphia loved them right back.

The deal is reportedly for five years and $120 million with a vesting option for a 6th year. The Yankees offered six years, $138 million and another option to bring the total to $154 million. 

The Yankees must be equally stunned as the Phillies are with this turn of events. 

A player choosing happiness over money is not something you see every day.

The Yankees fans who probably feel the worst about this news are the ones who harassed and spit on Cliff Lee’s wife Kristen during the ALCS in New York this past October. These fans may be to partly blame for sending the Lee family on this journey back to Philadelphia. 

Phillies fans thank you.

As far as making room for Lee, the Phillies made an exception to their payroll to make the deal happen. It is also rumored that they are shopping pitchers Joe Blanton and Kyle Kendrick plus outfielder Raul Ibanez. 

Whether any teams will bite remains to be seen.

For now, Phillies fans should feel free to celebrate. The Phils now have the best rotation in the majors with Lee, Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt. 

And while no one faults Jayson Werth for taking the money and going to Washington, Cliff Lee will be appreciated that much more in Philly for choosing this team over the money. 

And what an amazing team it is. 

You can all take the masking tape off your HalLEEday tee-shirts now.

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Phillies Reportedly Sign Cliff Lee: Happi-Lee, Remarkab-Lee, Shocking-Lee

Sports Irreverence and More from The Other Tip of the Goldberg

This will teach me to go to bed early and avoid the news from 9:00 PM on.

Hey, I was spending some quality time with my two year-old son. We can joyously read and play together until midnight, and my boy will still want more Q-time from my wife and me.

But that’s a whole other story; back to the task at hand. Besides, as much as I love him and there’s no close runner-up there, I can only read and play-act The Three Little Pigs and The Big, Bad Wolf so many times.

On the way back from an evening meeting, I heard one of the local (Philly) sports talk radio hosts conjecture that the Phillies might be in the running for Cliff Lee, who pitched so memorably in his very short tenure with Philadelphia in 2009.

But of course, they were just trying to make Phillies Nation feel better after letting Jayson Werth go to the Nationals.

Surely, this was just idle chatter, or was it? No! There is some fire behind this smoke, and the Phillies and GM Ruben Amaro are on fire.

In case you have not heard the news, it has been reported from multiple sources that coveted free agent left-handed pitcher Cliff Lee has signed with the Phillies for five years, with a vesting option for a sixth year.

According to MLB.com, the five-year deal is in the $120 million range.

There has been talk that Lee left some money on the table in spurning longer-term offers with the Yankees and possibly the Rangers, who had him for a few months.

But let’s not laud Lee like he’s giving up huge money to work anonymously in the slums of Calcutta.

Three things here:

He is getting $24 million per year until age 37; so what if he turned down a sixth year for another $18 million or so.

When I leave money on the table, it’s a ratty one-dollar bill  and a couple quarters from my pocket.

I’m not bashing Lee at all; truth be told, I’m a lifelong Phillies fan who was in mourning when “we” let him go last year on the same day that we signed Roy “Doc” Halladay (who incidentally may be the best starting pitcher in the sport).

So, I am receiving this news happi-Lee, ecstatic-Lee, shocking-Lee…but enough of the Lee rejoinders and onto something more important.

 

THE GREAT ROTATION

In the coming days and weeks (and even now, if not in this very space), there will be a ton of analysis about what this deal means for:

• The Phillies – I guess they are the prohibitive favorites to get to, and win, the Fall Classic next year.
• Ruben Amaro – Can anyone question him now, as he has now signed Lee, Halladay, Oswalt and Lee again in less than two year’s time.
• Philadelphia – Is this convincing proof that big-time athletes do want to play here, and we’re a second class city (perception-wise) no more?
• Joe Blanton – Frankly, who cares?
• The Yankees – I guess that they don’t always get what/who they want.
• The rest of baseball – The Phillies won’t be viewed like the 2010-11 Miami Heat, unless Lee says that “I’m taking my talents to South Philly.” But yes, the rest of baseball’s true contenders must be sweating about how they can try to match up with Halladay, Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels.
• Cole Hamels -“Wait, I’m now the No. 4 starter?”

R2-C2:

Just a few months ago, I proposed the nickname H20 for the Phillies amazing three-headed monster of Halladay, Hamels and Oswalt. 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/459880-roy-squared-and-cole-and-who-takes-the-ball-pondering-the-phillies-rotation

I swear on my beloved two year-old’s future that I had never seen or heard that nickname before my column-produced brainstorm, and I’m okay with “H2O” going viral and lots of t-shirts being sold without a nod to my little column on Bleacher Report, or royalties to my son’s college fund.

Well, I’m kind of okay with that, so here goes, and tell me if you heard it here first:

We now need a new nickname for (on paper) the most potent four-man rotation in modern baseball history. They are a rotation of all-world and even inter-galactic proportions and even though I am not a major sci-fi-guy, I am a nickname-meister of sorts.

So, of course, we now have two Roys (or two R’s) and a Cliff and a Cole (or two C’s). The Phillies have now upgraded the powerful H20 to an other-worldly…

                                                      R2-C2

It’s crisp, it’s clean, it’s powerful and let the rest of the baseball world and civilization as we know it deal with it. 

All I know is that Cliff Lee is back in Philly.

Well, I’ll know it when I see the press conference. 

That’ll teach me to stop watching the news at 9 PM.

 

For more information on Matt Goldberg’s new books, other writings and appearances, please e-mail: matt@tipofthegoldberg.com.

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Cliff Lee Signs: Are the Phillies Now the Baseball Version of the Miami Heat?

Throughout the entire hot stove season, all that people heard about Cliff Lee was the Yankees and Rangers.

Lee will go to New York because of the money; Lee will stay in Texas because of the familiarity with the organization and how close the state is to Little Rock, AR.

But what about returning to the Phillies?

It was in Philly where the whole Cliff Craze first occurred. When the Phillies acquired Cliff Lee in a trade with the Cleveland Indians for players nobody has ever heard of, no one could talk about him without including World Series and/or free agency.

When you’re a top free agent, you always have the New York Yankees as your de facto top choice. But what happens when you join a team with an already terrifying pitching rotation?

Now with the return of Cliff Lee, the pitching rotation of the Philadelphia Phillies goes from scary to just plain traumatizing.

Opposing teams best bet to beat Philly is to hope for the fifth starter, though even he would essentially be the third starter in 65 percent of the league or to just hope to face the bullpen before the ninth inning.

When faced with an elite closer, like the Phillies have, it becomes an eight-inning game for the other team. With a rotation like the Phillies, the only hope for opponents to score is by luck or shaky bullpen relief.

Just look at the top of the rotation: Roy Halladay pitched the most complete games in the majors last season and Cliff Lee has pitched the second most. Opposing teams are playing zero inning games with Lee and Halladay for sixteen games.

Unlike the Miami Heat of the NBA, Philly’s super-star starting pitchers do not need to learn how to play with each other; they just need to learn how to play with catcher Carlos Ruiz, something that isn’t really a problem.

The New York Mets look like a joke compared to Philly and the major moves of Dan Uggla to the Atlanta Braves, Jayson Werth to the Washington Nationals and Javier Vazquez to the Florida Marlins mean nothing now.

The Philadelphia Phillies will dominate the NL East.

But like the Miami Heat, the Phillies still have to beat the champs. Playing the role of the Boston Celtics of the National League, the San Francisco Giants still have their Fantastic Four of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner along with an improved lineup.

This will be great for baseball, as new powerhouse rivals are formed, diverting the attention of the media and fans away from the never-ending rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees.

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Cliff Lee Addition To Dominant Staff Makes Philadelphia Phillies Unstoppable

Surprise, surprise…coveted free-agent ace Cliff Lee has signed with his former club the Philadelphia Phillies.  According to multiple media outlets, the 32 year-old All-Star hurler will make a return to the team who he helped lead to the 2009 World Series and reportedly has agreed to a five-year, $120 million deal with a vesting option for a sixth year.

Lee put up sparkling numbers that postseason with a 4–0 record, 33 strikeouts in 40.1 innings pitched, and a microscopic ERA of 1.56 ERA and was the only Philadelphia starter earn a victory during the 2009 World Series with each of their two victories.

In a move that will stun baseball fans across the nation, Lee turned down the advances of the New York Yankees who defeated the Phillies during that same World Series.  By joining Philadelphia, he will have rejected a seven-year offer from the Yankees that would have paid him in the range of $160 million. 

It should also be mentioned that Lee would have earned significantly higher endorsement contracts if he opted to put on the pinstripes and the opportunity to team up with close friend C.C. Sabathia.

The Texas Rangers were said to have given Lee multiple deals to consider including one that worth more than $20 million annually over six seasons.  Rangers‘ manager Ron Washington admitted that he was confident that the star hurler telling reporters “that he’ll be here.” 

Lee’s performances this past postseason propelled the Rangers into the 2010 World Series where they lost to the San Francisco Giants in six games.  Some baseball insiders felt that Texas held an advantage in negotiations due to the Rangers’ proximity to his Arkansas home.

Lee will now form a piece of what experts will undoubtedly refer to as an “All-Star” Phillies rotation.  Along with Lee, Roy Halladay is one of the most revered pitchers in the game. 

Philadelphia will now have a one-two combination that no team across the MLB can match.  Completing the “murderer’s row” of top-four starters are Roy Oswalt, who after July trade from the Houston Astros recaptured his dominant ways, and Cole Hamels who enjoyed a terrific comeback season in 2010.

The capture of Lee will give Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel an arsenal of supreme starters to choose from in potential playoff matchups as the Phillies are surely a “shoe-in” to make the playoffs in the upcoming season. 

Club general manager Ruben Amaro will likely deal away Joe Blanton to free up some funds as 26-year-old Kyle Kendrick is their fifth starter to fill out the rotation.

Lee is coming off of a fine 2009 regular season campaign where he put up a 3.18 ERA, 185 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.00 in combined duty with the Rangers and the Seattle Mariners.  A nine-year veteran, his career ERA stands at 3.85 with a win-loss record of 102-61.

As Phillies fans awake to Tuesday morning, the will be greeted by the sensational news that their club has reacquired one of the predominant starters in baseball to add to their already stunning rotation. 

Late-night message board “Phanatics” are already predicting a return to the “fall classic” for their beloved Phils.  Only time will tell if this group can live up to the lofty expectations that most MLB pundits will place upon the Phillies in 2011.

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Cliff Lee Spurns Yankees, Rangers, Takes Less Money To Pitch For Phillies

As The New York Times‘ Ben Shpigel wrote two days ago, a 26-year-old pitcher by the name of Greg Maddux received a lucrative contract offer from the New York Yankees in 1992. The deal spanned five years and was worth $34 million, which was tremendous amount of money then.

Maddux thought about the offer, was visited by the Yankees brass, and then, when it was believed he would take it, the Atlanta Braves swooped in and nabbed the left-handed pitcher who would go on to be a member of the best rotation in baseball history and win a total of 355 games. They offered him $six million less to remain in the national league where he had previously pitched with the Chicago Cubs.

Shipgel wrote this piece to show that the Yankees don’t always get what they want. But not even he knew that what happened in 1992 would indeed happen again, just with another pitcher, another team and much, much more money.

Lee, 32, agreed to sign late Monday night with the Mystery Team everyone was talking about, the Philadelphia Phillies. New York offered him a seven-year deal worth $154 million. Instead, he took a contract worth approximately $12 million over five years to go back to the national league–where he pitched for Philadelphia in 2009.

This was a stunning decision, albeit admirable, and for this Red Sox fan a joy to see. Within three hours of Philadelphia’s confirmation as the much-ballyhooed mystery team in the Lee sweepstakes, his agent, Darren Braunecker, called the Yankees to inform them they were out of the running while Lee personally phoned Rangers General Manager Jon Daniels to tell him his plans.

New York not getting a personal call from the ace left-hander was priceless, and was a fitting end to their chase.

I wanted Lee to return to Texas. I thought he fit with that young, up-and-coming team. Though it is not known when Philadelphia indeed entered the bidding, returning to the City of Brotherly Love was a very smart choice on his part.

It was an admirable one, too. Not many players in this day and age of baseball leave that much money on the table. With the way he was dragging the negotiations out I thought for sure he would be a money-grabber like the majority of star major-leaguers, and go to the highest bidder—presumably New York. Instead of seeing dollar signs he saw a comfortable situation.

He now joins a rotation that rivals the 1990’s Braves. Maddux, signing with Atlanta, joined future Hall of Famers John Smoltz and Tom Glavine on the staff. This trio won 57 games in Maddux’s first season with the team. Lee, signing with Philadelphia, joins Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels—a trio that has combined to win 379 games and, last year, went 40-22 with a sparkling 2.41 ERA. Lee’s addition transforms a solid rotation into a scary one that could be as dominant as the aforementioned Atlanta trio was.

Heading back to the national league, where he faces opposing pitchers instead of designated hitters (which had to factor into his decision), he leaves the Rangers and Yankees searching for answers. Texas has the pieces to now go out and make a trade for Kansas City Royals ace Zack Greinke, who is on the trade market.

New York could do the same, but they are put in a more difficult position in missing out on Lee’s golden left arm. As Shipgel alluded to, they are supposed to sign the top free agents. Money is supposed to talk. In fact, the Rangers indeed offered more. But that’s not what will leave a sour taste in New York’s mouth, a mouth that is currently spewing expletives right and left in dismay.

They watched as Adrian Gonzalez was traded to the Red Sox. Then they watched Carl Crawford sign with the Red Sox. Now, Lee says thanks but no thanks. They get what is coming to them. They didn’t covet Gonzalez. They only wined and dined Crawford as a way to stir up the pot. But it’s the principle of the matter. Their rival makes two monumental moves and they come up empty.

It’s hard to put into words how I felt when I read on Twitter than New York was out of the running. I pictured George Steinbrenner rolling in his grave, his two sons, Hank and Hal, as well as general manager Brian Cashman, dumbfounded.

They, as well as the Rangers brass, are spared from making such a long-term commitment to a 32-year-old. New York’s offer, though similar in years and money to Texas, stands out. It was a desperate, risky attempt to get the player they coveted, to answer Boston, and to show that they can once more get money to talk. In the end, it didn’t work, putting a smile on my face that won’t go away anytime soon.

As a result, somewhere Maddux watched this unfold and must have nodded his head approvingly. If only more players were like them.

 

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Cliff Lee Unexpectedly Signs With the Philadelphia Phillies

I’m not sure how to start this article. I could start it with Lee, Halladay, Oswalt, or even Hamels. Obviously, this article will start with Cliff Lee, but as a Phillies fan I like to imagine all the possibilities. 

That’s my problem, I’m a dreamer. I occasionally mistake dreams for reality, and free agent signings like this blur my perception.

Maybe I’ve seen Inception too many times. Maybe I’m stressed out during finals week. Maybe Ruben Amaro is amassing a team ready for inter-galactic play. Maybe Ruben Amaro Jr. plays poker every week with a deck of Phillies playing cards, and he’s getting tired of a faceless ace of spades (Every playing card joke is fair game right now, who knows how long the Phillies will keep four aces).  

According to sources, Cliff Lee has turned down offers from the Yankees and Rangers. This leaves Philadelphia as the only “logical” destination for Cliff Lee.

*Cliff Lee has signed a 5 year deal worth 100 million.

This deal is unprecedented. No team ever in the annals of time has had a starting rotation as talented as the Phillies. While this might be a slight exaggeration, I believe 29 lineups will not sleep easily tonight as they imagine a series against the Phillies’ starting rotation. 

Ruben Amaro Jr. is playing a game right now that no one else has attempted before. It sort of makes sense in a twisted way; starting pitchers are on the mound every 5th day and do not interfere with other starting pitchers, so why not maximize the team by gathering as many dominant starting pitchers as possible. 

Money will come off the books next off-season in the form of Brad Lidge, Jimmy Rollins, Roy Oswalt, and Raul Ibanez. Joe Blanton is probably gone as soon as possible, and Raul could be traded this off-season as well if the Phillies can find a taker. Ultimately, Ruben may not have gotten approval for the deal unless he could unload enough money. Roy Oswalt could potentially be on the trading block though he does have a no-trade clause. 

Philadelphia is more attractive than Texas and New York City. Lee spurned pinstripes coated with money and the South coated with money for…. a cheese steak. Lee is taking less money than either of the other offers because he enjoyed the environment. 

He liked all his teammates, he loves Charlie Manuel, and he apparently buys into the Phillies and Philadelphia culture. This can’t help but establish Philadelphia as a social butterfly, popular with all MLB free agents and envied by other teams. 

I’ll be honest, I was beginning to forget about the Fightin’ Phils. San Francisco convincingly beat the Phillies in the NLCS playoffs and Michael Vick has turned a young Eagles team into Super Bowl contenders.

But Ruben Amaro Jr. seems to be living in a dream world and I’m just glad he’s sharing it with me. 

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