Roy Halladay's no-hitter in his first postseason start validated my fervent but ultimately crushed dreams about him being acquired by the New York Yankees in the 2009-10 offseason. But in dominating the Cincinnati Reds, Doc showed the Yankees what will probably be waiting for them if they make a repeat trip to the World Series.
It was nice to see Halladay’s greatness finally on display for the world to see in the playoffs. The only thing that sucked about watching him pitch that game last night was that he wasn't doing it in a Yankee uniform.
I freely admit that I wanted Halladay and yesterday he showed why. A pitcher making his first start in the playoffs should have been at least a little anxious, but Halladay was the calmest guy in Citizens Bank Park yesterday. Hell, I think I was more nervous watching him pursue baseball history. (BTW Orlando Cabrera, Halladay got every strike call from the umpire because every pitch he threw was a strike so shut up because no one wants to hear your sour grapes).
Last year, the Yankees beat the Phillies largely because the Phils had no one to follow the great Cliff Lee, who showed something himself yesterday in throttling the Tampa Bay Rays. If the Yankees make it to the World Series this year, they will have to face Halladay at least twice, followed by a resurgent Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt, another great pitcher who spent far too long in baseball obscurity in Houston.
I don’t know if the Yankees actually came close to landing Halladay last offseason, but it sure seems like a missed opportunity, especially now that the good doctor has shown what he can do under the intense pressure of the playoffs.
Thanks to schwenkenstein01 and UCinternational via Wikipedia for the photo.
It was nice to see Halladay’s greatness finally on display for the world to see in the playoffs. The only thing that sucked about watching him pitch that game last night was that he wasn't doing it in a Yankee uniform.
I freely admit that I wanted Halladay and yesterday he showed why. A pitcher making his first start in the playoffs should have been at least a little anxious, but Halladay was the calmest guy in Citizens Bank Park yesterday. Hell, I think I was more nervous watching him pursue baseball history. (BTW Orlando Cabrera, Halladay got every strike call from the umpire because every pitch he threw was a strike so shut up because no one wants to hear your sour grapes).
Last year, the Yankees beat the Phillies largely because the Phils had no one to follow the great Cliff Lee, who showed something himself yesterday in throttling the Tampa Bay Rays. If the Yankees make it to the World Series this year, they will have to face Halladay at least twice, followed by a resurgent Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt, another great pitcher who spent far too long in baseball obscurity in Houston.
I don’t know if the Yankees actually came close to landing Halladay last offseason, but it sure seems like a missed opportunity, especially now that the good doctor has shown what he can do under the intense pressure of the playoffs.
Thanks to schwenkenstein01 and UCinternational via Wikipedia for the photo.
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