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Here’s why former Phillies star Cliff Lee was trending on Twitter this week

ByGabrielle Starr|
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 31: Cliff Lee #33 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches in the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on July 31, 2014 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jonathan Ernst/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 31: Cliff Lee #33 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches in the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on July 31, 2014 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jonathan Ernst/Getty Images)

Former Philadelphia Phillies star Cliff Lee was trending on Twitter for a nostalgic reason

Whenever someone from the pre-social media or early social media era of baseball trends on Twitter, it kind of throws me for a loop. For a moment, I’m transported back in time, to the person’s most socially-relevant era.

This week, it’s former Philadelphia Phillies star Cliff Lee, who was trending on Twitter on Wednesday, thanks to Brandon Warne’s tweet, asking baseball fans to build a rotation of their favorite pitchers from their franchise history.

Unsurprisingly, Lee made quite a few Phillies fans’ lists:

https://twitter.com/brookied820/status/1491475105200984072?s=20&t=6fJAYVyHLQBYetvYKev6Fg

He was also included in the dream rotations of fans from other fanbases, as his career also included stints with Cleveland, Seattle, and Texas.

After winning the 2008 Cy Young with Cleveland, Lee joined the Phillies at the 2009 trade deadline, helping them win their second consecutive pennant and reach the World Series. Though they would lose to the Yankees, Lee pitched a complete game, one of the Phillies’ two wins in the Fall Classic.

Following that season, the Phillies traded him to the Mariners as they acquired Roy Halladay from the Toronto Blue Jays.

Ahead of the 2011 season, the 32-year-old Lee chose to sign a five-year deal with the Phillies instead of the Yankees, who had offered him more years and money. He joined a formidable starting rotation that also boasted Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt, and they became known as the “Four Aces.”

Lee’s first full season with the Phillies’ was their last in a five-year run as NL East champs, and he was an All-Star for the third time in his career. Though the team went downhill in the years that followed, he was an All-Star again in 2013.

The end of Lee’s career was mired with injuries. His last big-league appearance was on July 31, 2014, and after he did not pitch in 2015, the Phillies bought out the remainder of his contract. Over five years, 118 games, and 827 1/3 innings, he posted a 2.94 ERA.

However, despite how his career ended, Phillies fans clearly look back on his time in red pinstripes fondly.

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