A Mixed Bag

Quite the whirlwind of events since the last post. A quick list of questions:

• Why cant Dallas win a game in December to save their lives? Thanks Cowboys for letting the Bolts steal the AFC West
• Is anyone surprised that Randy Moss quit on his team?
• Why was Tim Tebow even invited to the Heisman ceremony? Lifetime acheivement awards are for the Oscar's, but don't count him out as a legitimate NFL QB especially if a team like Jacksonville builds their entire offense around him.
• Will Tiger ever be able to recover? Can you imagine being told that because you slept around with a waitress from Perkins,a porn star, and many wife look-alikes (yikes, those probably hurt the most) that you would instantly lose tens of millions of dollars? Hope he enjoyed the ride....
• And for my leadoff, Am I the only one a little baffled by the move of Cliff Lee to the Mariners and Roy Halladay taking his place in Philly?

I get that Halladay has been one of the AL's most dominant pitchers for the better part of the last decade. He led the AL in complete games in 2009 and posted a 17-10 record and a more important 2.79 ERA. Cliff Lee has been equally as dominant the last 2 seasons especially in being absolutely clutch during the Phillies 2009 World Series push , and subsequent hammering courtesy of the Yankees.

What I dont understand about this move is why the Phillies pulled the trigger. In just the Lee and Halladay trades, they have given up 7 major prospects. Two major blockbuster deals within a period of 6 months seems questionable. Yes, there were contract issues that would have been tough to work out with Lee long term, but he was the only stable part of the Phillies rotation in the last month of the season. Hamels was a circus act last year after a phenomenal 2008. Rest assured, Halladay will pitch well in the NL but will he still be as dominant and a better fit for the Phillies in the long run? It seems the Phils are pushing to win right now, maybe thinking Halladay is the missing link between a game 5 defeat in Yankee Stadium and the World Series trophy. I dont get letting Lee go. He was unstoppable in the postseason, and its questionable if Halladay can bring the same stuff in the postseason, a place where he has never been.

The jury's going to be out on this one. I dont think it was the right move, but time will tell. And how about next year's Mariners? They get huge pick-ups in Chone Figgins and then pick up arguably one of the top 5 pitchers in the game in Cliff Lee while the Angels drop Lackey, Figgins, and possibly Vlad Guerrero? Watch out for the M's in 2010.