Lee_power
Earlier, we told you about New York's reaction to the Cliff Lee signing.  Now the rest of the country has weighed in and, well, it's out of control.

Ray Rotto of CSN Bay Area says the reason the Phillies got Cliff Lee was to close the "Madison Bumgarner Gap."  For realsies.

Now, with Lee's five-year, $120 million deal, their payroll will nudge, if not actually exceed, $170 million. They have nearly doubled their payroll in four years.

Go on…

All because they didn't have Madison Bumgarner.

Heh?

That's our theory anyway. I mean, they've already got more hitting than the Giants, and that's even allowing for Jayson Werth going to the Washington Nationals. Thus when they invested in Lee, they were going toe-to-toe with those dysfunctional, misshapen, weirdo, all-arm-and-no-wood, costumed geezers in San Francisco.

Right.

Put it this way: Cliff Lee or Tim Lincecum? Except for age, it's a wash, and Lee is at the top of his powers right now. Roy Halladay or Matt Cain? Again, Halladay, for the same reason.

What same reason?  Both Halladay and Lee are significantly better than Cain.  Stop it, just stop.

Now it gets interesting. Roy Oswalt or Bumgarner? Any fair-minded person would have to say that Oswalt's track record gives him the edge, but if you want to put Cole Hamels against Bumgarner instead … well, the edge is smaller but it's still there.

Madison Bumgarner has pitched 191 innings in the Major Leagues.

And in the four-slot, you have Oswalt or Hamels against Jonathan Sanchez. Go on, make a case for Sanchez. We've got all the time in the world.

What the…

Yeah, that's what I thought.

What's what you thought?

I have no idea what Mr. Rotto just said, but the reason the Phillies signed Cliff Lee has nothing to do with Madison Bumgarner.  The Giants were a genetic grab bag of luck that found its way into the playoffs thanks to a late season Phillies sweep of the Padres.  Somewhere between Brian Wilson's dumb beard and Cody Ross' rodeo clown aspirations they pulled a World Series ring out of their collective asses.  Please.

H/T to reader Vince for that ridiculous link

Meanwhile on ESPN…

Skip Bayless tweeted:

Cliff Lee went LeBron, ran from pressure of being The Ace in Tex or being the savior in NY. In effect teamed up w/ Wade, Bosh & Melo in Philly

What a douche.