Cliff Lee Is Fine: Stop Panicking
I'm confused. Cliff Lee failed to pitch through six innings last night against Kansas City for the third consecutive start (and only the third time all season) and that's a reason to panic? Please. Lee is going to be just fine and so will the Texas Rangers.
Why would this be a cause for concern? Pitchers are allowed to have off games. Pitchers are allowed to struggle a little bit this late in the season. Pitchers who have thrown a gem or two in the postseason and World Series are allowed to have off games. A couple of bad performances aren't signs that it's the end of the world. And it certainly doesn't mean the 2008 Cy Young winner isn't trying.
Last week, Colin Cowherd accused Lee of tanking it against bad teams like the Baltimore Orioles. He accused him of not caring about the Texas Rangers, not liking the heat and only showing off his talent against the elite teams in the majors.
"When he pitches against elite teams, he is showcasing his talent," Cowherd said. "Against the Orioles, he mails it in. That's a dude who gets out of town. The minute the season ends, he will go to the Yankees and jettison the Rangers."
The dumb radio host also pointed out how Lee's strikeout numbers are higher against better teams. I guess he forgot about his 13-K performance against Oakland.
Cowherd, of course, is a moron, plain and simple. Lee called him out and said whatever Cowherd heard and said was a lie.
Lee struggled in a couple starts with the Philadelphia Phillies last year at almost the same exact time of the season. On August 29 last year, he only pitched five innings and gave up three home runs, six earned runs off 10 hits and only struck out five. On September 4 pitching at Houston, he only threw for three innings, gave up six earned runs and struck out three batters. Both games resulted in losses for both the Phillies and Lee.
Did everyone panic? No. Did he struggle for the rest of the season? No. Did Philadelphia still make it to the World Series? Yes.
He hasn't even been struggling that badly. In Lee's debut against Baltimore, he gave up six earned runs, but still pitched a complete game and only got one measly run from a usually powerful offense. In his loss to Tampa Bay, the Rays scored four runs in the eighth after two Texas bad defensive lapses that extended the inning (it's not Lee's fault Rangers second baseman Joaquin Arias couldn't track down a pop-up).
After his last three bad starts, his WHIP is still 1.03 and he still leads the league in complete games with seven.
These things happen. It doesn't mean Lee is "mailing it in." It doesn't mean Texas fans should be worried. They have a guy who can go on the road and pitch a complete game in the World Series (Game 1 last year) without giving up an earned run.
Whether or not Lee signs with the Yankees in the offseason, it's hard to believe he has already made that decision. It's even harder to believe that Cowherd is a credible source. So stop panicking. Lee deserves the benefit of the doubt.- Michael Klopman
Michael, a Penn State Graduate writes for Xtra Point Football, Around the Horn Baseball, and works on the sports page at the Huffington Post.
- More on Cliff Lee: Are the Texas Rangers Overusing and Abusing Cliff Lee?
