Phillies Invite You To Witness the Complete Destruction of Roy Halladay

Don’t ask Roy if he’s nervous. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-US PRESSWIRE

When the Phillies play their 158th game of the season tonight against the Marlins in Miami, Roy Halladay will take the mound for the road grays.

Yes, that would be the same Roy Halladay who has had a sore shoulder since the start of Spring Training, the same Roy Halladay who missed two months of the season on the disabled list, and the same Roy Halladay who comes into tonight’s contest with a 4.40 ERA, his highest since the 2000 season when he was a young punk of 23 years old and was sent back to the minors to get his crap together.

He’s lost about 4-5 miles per hour off his fastball, his pitches are flat and utterly hittable, forcing Roy to become a strictly junkballer for the first time in his career.

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “Why would the Phillies risk injury to their ace starting pitcher in a completely meaningless game at the end of a lost season that will prove absolutely nothing to anybody?”

Of course, if you’re thinking that, then you are directly challenging the genius and baseball horsesense of Mr. Amaro, Mr. Manuel and Mr. Dubee.

That would make you a traitor to the cause, wouldn’t it?

Clearly, these guys understand that giving Halladay one more start will completely reverse the nightmare that was his 2012 season. It will magically repair whatever damage lies inside Halladay’s once-robotic-like right arm and shoulder.

Cats and dogs will live together, the Koreas will unite and all will be right with the world.

Seriously though, why would the Phillies do this? Why would they allow a pitcher they are going to pay $20 million to next season to risk further injury by starting a meaningless game? Is everyone just afraid of Roy?

I mean, I’ve heard that Roy Halladay’s angry glare has been known to kill small birds, but is there really so little will in the Phils’ organization that they’re willing to let him tear his arm off?

We all appreciate Halladay’s desire to compete. It’s one of the things that makes him great.

But sometimes an athlete has to be told no. Especially the great ones. Sometimes, it’s hardest for the elite to be honest with themselves. It’s the job of Amaro, Manuel and Dubee to protect Roy from himself.

One would assume the Phillies have consulted numerous physicians about this, and one would assume said physician has given everyone the OK to do this.

But the Phils already shut down Vance Worley for an injury that he said never hurt, and they did that three weeks ago, when playoff chances were still a possibility.

Why would the $20 million pitcher not get the same treatment?

But, that being said, if you’ve got nothing else to do tonight (and I really hope that you could find something else to do on a Saturday night at the end of a lost baseball season), the Phillies would like to invite you to witness the complete and total destruction of their best pitcher’s right arm.

It should be a blast.