Roy Oswalt. Roy Halladay. Cliff Lee.
Those are the last three pitchers acquired by Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr.
Sure, you can say in retrospect that the decision to trade Lee after his heroics in the playoffs and World Series last fall was a debacle.
My guess is that even Amaro might like a do-over on that one.
It doesn’t change his track record.
What Amaro, and his mentor Pat Gillick before him, has done is fundamentally change the image of this once moribund bunch.
There is nothing small-time – or small market – about the Phils anymore.
They are a player.
Amaro targets the player he wants, then goes and gets him.
They don’t come cheap. Acquiring Oswalt from the Astros meant parting with young pitcher J. Happ. Reeling in Halladay cost some of the best young arms in the Phils’ system, inlcuding Kyle Drabek.
But you have to like this move. It was there on the table, and unlike so many who preceded him, Amaro wasted no time pulling the trigger.
So how many Phillies fans do you think make the hike down I-95 to Washington to see Oswalt’s debut tonight?
My guess is that there will be as many Phillies fans as those rooting for the Nats in the house.
The Phillies can now match up with anyone with their pitching triumvirate of Halladay, Hamels and Oswalt.
Roy to the World!
Those are the last three pitchers acquired by Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr.
Sure, you can say in retrospect that the decision to trade Lee after his heroics in the playoffs and World Series last fall was a debacle.
My guess is that even Amaro might like a do-over on that one.
It doesn’t change his track record.
What Amaro, and his mentor Pat Gillick before him, has done is fundamentally change the image of this once moribund bunch.
There is nothing small-time – or small market – about the Phils anymore.
They are a player.
Amaro targets the player he wants, then goes and gets him.
They don’t come cheap. Acquiring Oswalt from the Astros meant parting with young pitcher J. Happ. Reeling in Halladay cost some of the best young arms in the Phils’ system, inlcuding Kyle Drabek.
But you have to like this move. It was there on the table, and unlike so many who preceded him, Amaro wasted no time pulling the trigger.
So how many Phillies fans do you think make the hike down I-95 to Washington to see Oswalt’s debut tonight?
My guess is that there will be as many Phillies fans as those rooting for the Nats in the house.
The Phillies can now match up with anyone with their pitching triumvirate of Halladay, Hamels and Oswalt.
Roy to the World!
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