Cliff_lee_misu
Tim Cowlishaw, who writes for the Dallas Observer and appears in the abortion that is Around the Horn, wrote an article downplaying Cliff Lee's importance to the Texas Rangers.

I don't think anyone watching Lee would say he's had an awful month. But his ERA in August is 4.50 — 15 earned runs in 30 innings. I am betting a lot of you didn't think it was nearly that high, given how proficient Lee is at striking out batters and at walking almost no one.

 

The article essentially goes like this:

Cliff Lee will get frustrated with the poor fielding and leave for a larger market.

But his ERA isn't that good and he gives up a lot of hits.

So he's not that important anyway and the Rangers are still good.

Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth.  Despite the fact that it looks like a third grader wrote those sentences, they accurately summarize Cowlishaw's elementary article.  He's arguing that the Rangers are still a good team without Lee (agree), and that losing him this off-season wouldn't be that big of a loss.  Disagree.

He does this by using the smallest of all sample sizes.  He took a two week span (what, 3 starts?) and pointed to Lee's 4.50 ERA over that time period.  That's not exactly awful either- he went through a similar stretch last August.  Cowlishaw then noted that the Rangers are 3-5 in Lee's starts and 14-9 in other games, since he joined the team.  The Rangers have scored three runs or less in 5 of his 8 starts.

That won't keep Rangers owner Chuck Greenberg from doing everything he can to keep Lee in a Texas uniform for the next five or six years. And he should. But it is a reminder that this team was a very good first-place club before he arrived and it can continue to compete if Lee does make the decision to go elsewhere this winter.

 

It's like that scene in Old School where Luke Wilson discovers that Craig Kilborn is cheating on the chick from Grey's Anatomy.  He's angered that someone could do that to such a precious gem.

Cliff Lee is Ellen Pompeo.

He is one of the best pitchers in the game.  Last year, he turned in one of the best post-season performances ever.  And it took a city like Philadelphia, a winning city, a half a year and two Roys to get over losing him.

Come spend a few days in June 2010 Philadelphia and tell me he's not that valuable.

 

Thanks to reader Dan Bello for sending this along.