Two hits, 13 strikeouts. That’s what the Yankees could come up with against Cliff Lee last night in the Bronx. Looking back towards the swirling rumours of New York trying to land the lefty ace, don’t you think now they’re really regretting throwing in a little extra “oomph†into their package?
This is the second post-season in a row that Lee has owned the Evil Empire. If you’re going to use that nickname for New York, you might as well call him Luke Skywalker. Last year, he won two games in the World Series with the Phillies and now, even though he couldn’t go in Game 1, he’s frustrating the Yanks and would be slated to start a crucial Game 6 or 7, should the series go that far.
So why didn’t the Yankees sweeten the pot for Lee? By the time he hit the market, the Yanks – and entire league for that matter – knew that Javier Vasquez wasn’t the answer. Actually, you could’ve guessed how he’d fare this time in New York after bombing during his previous stint. Joba Chamberlain wasn’t in top form coming out of the pen, so he wasn’t a candidate for starting. It was really CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes and the eternal Andy Pettitte, plus A.J. Burnett showing just how bad he can be in an off year.
The time was right for New York to blow away Seattle with a big offer, regardless of Lee’s contract situation (he’s a free agent after the playoffs). He was a proven ace that the Yanks missed out on and they’re feeling the pain because of it.
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