Philadelphia Phillies: 50 greatest players of all-time
player. 6. . SP. 2009, 2011-14. Cliff Lee. 35
A controversial player in Phillies history, Cliff Lee still ranks among the greatest pitchers to have played in the City of Philadelphia. If not for several unfortunate events, he could be regarded as a legend in the city.
In his first three full years with the Cleveland Indians, Lee won at least 14 games and finished fourth in the Cy Young race in 2005. Lee would win the American League Cy Young in 2008 when he led the league in wins, shutouts and ERA.
Philadelphia acquired Lee and outfielder Ben Francisco at the trade deadline in 2009 for prospects Lou Marson, Jason Donald, Carlos Carrasco and Jason Knapp. Carrasco became the only one of those four to become a full-time player. He is still a key piece of the Indians’ rotation.
Lee was simply dominant when he came to Philadelphia, winning seven of his 12 regular season starts and sending the Phillies to their second consecutive World Series.
In five postseasons starts, Lee went 5-0 with a 1.54 ERA and two complete games. Unfortunately, his dominance wasn’t enough to clinch another World Series, which would have launched him into Phillies greatness.
After acquiring Roy Halladay from the Toronto Blue Jays, Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. felt like he needed to restock his farm system. That same day, he swapped Lee to the Seattle Mariners for three prospects, none of whom panned out.
Lee ultimately returned to Philadelphia as a free agent for the 2011 season. He was a member of one of the greatest rotations in baseball history along with Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt.
Lee finished third in the Cy Young race behind Clayton Kershaw and Halladay after another dominant season with a league-high six shutouts. After two more strong seasons, injuries began to mount and Lee failed to pitch after the 2013 season.
A sour attitude and a hefty contract rubbed Phillies fans the wrong way with Lee and he was chased out of town, despite his dominance.
Lee ranks in the top-10 all-time among Phillies pitchers in 11 career categories. He held the career K/9 record until last year. His six shutouts in 2011 are the third-most for a Phillies pitcher in a single season post-Deadball Era.
Lee had several Hall of Fame seasons, but will likely fall short when his name is called on the 2020 ballot. He will be eligible for the Wall of Fame, but given the negativity surrounding his name in Philadelphia, his induction is unlikely there as well.