by David Skolnik

Created on: December 17, 2010   Last Updated: December 21, 2010

As a fan from another National League East baseball team, my first reaction to the Cliff Lee signing by the Phillies was, "so what?"

Let's see, the Phillies now have Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt. In short, that spells C2R2. Or R2C2, whichever sounds better. Essentially, the Phillies front office just made Charlie Manuel a happy manager. In fact, and I hate to admit this, but the Phils will win another World Series or two before the Philadelphia Eagles win a Super Bowl. 

But how did this happen? Weren't we just listening to the sports pundits talk about Cliff Lee staying with the Texas Rangers or signing with the New York Yankees? I guess Mrs. Lee persuaded her husband to return to the Phillies. He had a taste of Philadelphia in 2009, when he was brought over from the American League. He enjoyed his stay, did rather well. But after the Phils failed to follow-up their 2008 World Series title with another crown in 2009, the team let him get away to the great Northwest.

He started the 2010 season with the Seattle Mariners. Seriously, they weren't the Phillies. Anything good he did out there would stay out there. No one else throughout baseball would hear about it. Then the Mariners shipped him to the Texas Rangers, a team leading the American League West. Yes, there was hope for Cliff Lee to return to the post season and maybe win the World Series.

Well, the Rangers got to the World Series, but were outdistanced by a hungry San Francisco Giants team, which knows a thing or two about pitching.

Now, Nolan Ryan's team had to think of a way to get the Rangers back to the World Series in 2011. Sure, convince Cliff Lee to stay with the team. Give him a lot of money, a lot of land, a no-state tax incentive, etc. He could pal around with George W. and Laura Bush. Not bad.

But the beasts from the east were flexing their muscles and bank accounts at the Lees and offering him $154 million over seven years. They would have to give Mrs. Lee a lifetime supply of Kleenex tissues in case Yankee fans spit on her again.

Some time between the last pitch of the 2010 World Series and Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2010, Cliff Lee decided he missed Philadelphia and its potent offense and solid bullpen. And they had Halladay, Hamels and Oswalt. Wow, what a quartet that would make with Lee signing. So he did, for $50 million and two years less than what the Yankees offered.

When the news broke Tuesday night that Lee would become a Phillie again, the City of Brotherly Love was ecstatic. Folks were making up song parodies to classic Christmas tunes. All day long Wednesday, all I heard was "Happy HallLEEdays." Please, did I want to vomit?

I know pitchers can't produce runs, so the likes of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Carlos Ruiz and company are going to have to steer the ship. Again, I hate to admit it, but among Lee, Halladay, Hamels and Oswalt, there will be at least two 20-game winners on the 2011 Phillies team.

How disgusting is that? If you're a Phillies fan, you're singing "Happy HallLEEdays." 

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