After losing to the New York Yankees in the World Series last year, the Philadelphia Phillies weren’t satisfied with finishing second. Though they let dominant starter Cliff Lee head to the Seattle Mariners, they finally got their man in Roy Halladay, the former Blue Jays ace they tried to get at the 2009 trade deadline. Halladay recently took to the mound for the first time in the red and white of the Phillies during a spring training matchup coincidentally against the Yankees. Though it was just a spring training game, the Phillies got a glimpse of the talent they signed as he pitched two shutout innings against the world champions.
The spring training game has much larger repercussions for the rest of the National League, however, as it’s clear that once again NL teams will have to go through the Phillies to get to the World Series. Halladay has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the majors over his career and has posted an absurd 2.73 career ERA in 12 seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays. What’s even more impressive, Halladay has been dominant in a division that boasts baseball’s biggest powerhouses in the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, which are both teams that have potent offenses year in and year out.
Moving to the National League, Halladay’s dominance may even increase, as has been the trend with pitchers moving from the AL to the NL. Instead of starting against the Red Sox and Yankees three or four times a year, Halladay will instead be pitching against middle-of-the-road teams like the New York Mets and Florida Marlins, not to mention the lowly Washington Nationals.
But it won’t just be the stats of Halladay that the Phillies are after as he brings a workhorse mentality to the front of the rotation. Halladay has pitched more than 220 innings each of the previous four seasons and continues to be the most durable starting pitcher around, frequently going deep into the game. Last year marked the second year out of three that Halladay has led the league in complete games, which takes a tremendous amount of pressure off of a bullpen throughout the year and should keep the Phillies relievers fresh heading into the postseason.
Halladay gets added to a team that already is among the most powerful clubs in the league, with multiple MVP winners in their starting lineup. Last year, the Phillies had five players hit 20 or more home runs, four of which drove in at least 90 runs as well. With Halladay at the front of their rotation and one of the most prolific scoring teams in the majors, the Phillies are without parallel in the National League and even more likely to return to the World Series than the stacked Yankees.
If the Phillies can get starter Cole Hamels to contribute after a down year in 2009, it appears they will run away with the NL East, which they have won each of the last three seasons. As always, Philadelphia Phillies tickets are sure to be at a premium for the 2010 season, as the rabid Phillies fan base has expectations of another title run on the arm of their prized new acquisition. Though Halladay’s outing against the Yankees to begin spring training was just an exhibition, it appears to be a matchup as likely as any other for this year’s Fall Classic as well. Even with Halladay now out of the AL East, the Yankees still may have to go through him if they want to add another title to their storied franchise.
This was written by David James and sponsored by StubHub. StubHub.com sellsPhiladelphia Phillies tickets, as well as many other kinds of sports tickets, concert tickets, tickets to special events and theatrical performances.
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Chase Utley sais a few words to the crowd at the Philadelphia Philles National League East Championship Rally at City Hall on October 1st 2007
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