Philly fans go apeshit over their players. And they love nicknames. Whether it be the Flyin’ Hawaiian, J-Roll, Pete Happy, Chooch, or simply RAUUUUUUUUULLLLL!!! Fans have had a hard time coming up with a nick for newly acquired Cliff Lee. Clifford the Big Red Dog doesn’t quite cut it, considering his name is Clifton. No other play-on words have been acceptable, so we basically address him by his middle name, Phifer. This pic is God-like, and we surely do hail him as our Lord & Savior, considering the way his has pitched over the last 2 weeks. All Hail Clifton Phifer Lee.

/I’d love to give credit to the guy who created the photo, but the site that I stole it from doesn’t give any names. I did some investigative work, and this was the best I could do. He goes by the name Starfunkel.

In order to move from 14th worst pitching staff in the NL to the coveted “worst in all the land” spot, Philadelphia had decided to reach for the stars by signing Pedro Martinez.  That’s right, with a 4.61 overall ERA* and a 4.98 ERA among starters, the Phillies are looking to add a pitcher who, in the last three years, has an ERA of about 4.8.  And let’s not forget the age and damage factor.  Pedro has never weighed more than 150 lbs soaking wet yet he hurled the ball with such force that made his ability in his prime all the more amazing.  Now, at 37 (38 at the end of October) he’s looking to catch on again after not having pitched since the WBC and I must say, I’m doubtful of his ability to contribute anything to the Phillies rotation.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand why they’re signing him.  Jaime Moyer has been awful this season, Kendrick and Myers have been injured and their bullpen has been taxed and could use a fresh arm.  Also, the NL East is loaded with lousy pitchers who, in comparison, probably make Pedro a decent looking option.

Mets fans must be laughing at this as much as Red Sox fans.  I can only imagine Roman (who no longer talks to us) sitting around praying that Pedro does as much damage to the Phillies as he did to the Mets. Read the rest of this entry »

We’re about a quarter of the way through the so I thought now was as good a time as any to take a look at the leading candidates for the NL Cy Young award.

1. Brandon Webb: What more can you say about the greatest pitcher ever? Lowest WHIP among all starters is impressive, but it’s even more so when you realize that he wants the batters to hit the ball. Yes, he benefits from an above average defense, but for someone with a K/9 under 7, he sure does control batters effectively.

2. Edinson Volquez: First in ERA; first in K/9 at 10.27; only 2 HRs allowed. This kid is amazing. A couple of negatives: high BB/9 at ~5; only 54 IP through 9 starts means he only averages 6IP which isn’t awful but he’s last on the list (this has more to do with his high pitch count/inning I imagine). A hell of a good pitcher. Too bad he pitches for the Reds. Very deserving of an “If his team didn’t suck” post.

3. Tim Lincecum: We’ve already talked about Lincecum here, but damn that kid is good. He strikes out 10.1/9IP and has a K/BB of 3. Great velocity and control will do that. He’s got an ERA of 1.92 which is second among all starters in the NL. Great pitcher on an awful team will cost him a deserving shot at the Cy Young.

4. Johan Santana: Has given up 11 HRs this year and his ERA is only 3.30. His WHIP is only 1.12. I guess all of the hits he’s given up are for HRs. Maybe he should work on that. K/9 rate of 8.55. Really, the only reason he’s on this list is because of his name.

5. Aaron Cook: An ERA of 2.82 and a WHIP of 1.27 at spacious, thin aired Coors Field. He’s got 6 wins for a shitty team and deserving of more acclaim. I know I’ll receive a lot of emails about putting Cook in this spot over Zambrano but I couldn’t help it. Someone has to mention him.

Random Note: You know who has the highest K/BB ratio right now? Dan Haren at 4.5 (!?!?!). He doesn’t strike out a ton of guys, but he only walks ~1.5/9.

Noticeably absent: Jake Peavy-his team is playing lousy and his ERA is high for a pitcher’s park plus he’s been injured; Scott Olsen-having a good year for the first place Marlins but he’s a total douche and I could never put him on any positive list of any kind; Carlos Zambrano-strikeouts are down, but he’s racking up wins on a good team.

We’re about a quarter of the way through the so I thought now was as good a time as any to take a look at the leading candidates for the NL Cy Young award.

1. Brandon Webb: What more can you say about the greatest pitcher ever? Lowest WHIP among all starters is impressive, but it’s even more so when you realize that he wants the batters to hit the ball. Yes, he benefits from an above average defense, but for someone with a K/9 under 7, he sure does control batters effectively.

2. Edinson Volquez: First in ERA; first in K/9 at 10.27; only 2 HRs allowed. This kid is amazing. A couple of negatives: high BB/9 at ~5; only 54 IP through 9 starts means he only averages 6IP which isn’t awful but he’s last on the list (this has more to do with his high pitch count/inning I imagine). A hell of a good pitcher. Too bad he pitches for the Reds. Very deserving of an “If his team didn’t suck” post.

3. Tim Lincecum: We’ve already talked about Lincecum here, but damn that kid is good. He strikes out 10.1/9IP and has a K/BB of 3. Great velocity and control will do that. He’s got an ERA of 1.92 which is second among all starters in the NL. Great pitcher on an awful team will cost him a deserving shot at the Cy Young.

4. Johan Santana: Has given up 11 HRs this year and his ERA is only 3.30. His WHIP is only 1.12. I guess all of the hits he’s given up are for HRs. Maybe he should work on that. K/9 rate of 8.55. Really, the only reason he’s on this list is because of his name.

5. Aaron Cook: An ERA of 2.82 and a WHIP of 1.27 at spacious, thin aired Coors Field. He’s got 6 wins for a shitty team and deserving of more acclaim. I know I’ll receive a lot of emails about putting Cook in this spot over Zambrano but I couldn’t help it. Someone has to mention him.

Random Note: You know who has the highest K/BB ratio right now? Dan Haren at 4.5 (!?!?!). He doesn’t strike out a ton of guys, but he only walks ~1.5/9.

Noticeably absent: Jake Peavy-his team is playing lousy and his ERA is high for a pitcher’s park plus he’s been injured; Scott Olsen-having a good year for the first place Marlins but he’s a total douche and I could never put him on any positive list of any kind; Carlos Zambrano-strikeouts are down, but he’s racking up wins on a good team.