Wins and losses aren’t something a pitcher controls, unless they finish the game (normally) but Halladay had a stretch of 4 straight CGs (yes, 4 straight) and he took a loss in 3 of them.

The wins and losses are more a result of 4.72 run support vs 6.13, in favour of Lee.

Don’t get me wrong, Lee is a deserving candidate, but I think Roy all things considered was the better pitcher.

9 CGs vs 4 for Lee
4.72 run support vs 6.13
2 more GS
lower WHIP
23 more IP
36 more Ks
better K/BB
better K/9
lower P/PA
lower P/IP
way better GB/FB ratio
lower opp. OPS and OBP
way lower opp. BA
higher AGS (avg game score)
2nd most quality starts in AL with 23 – tied with Lee

What stats were you talking about again?

As a Jays fan, I’m so happy for Roy that he will be able to pitch on the stage he deserves. Baseball fans everywhere will now be able to appreciate Roy the pitcher as well as Roy the human being. As much as I wish we could keep him all to ourselves, this is a trade that simply had to happen. Rather than being sad, I’m taking the stance that this is the beginning of turning things around for a franchise that has gone in circles or sideways, unfortunately almost ever since drafting Harry Leroy Halladay III in 1995.

He deserved so much better than what the previous two regimes gave him. He did almost wash out in 2000 though and I will always be thankful to Gord Ash and Mel Queen for helping him get that turned around, but of course a lot of the credit goes to him for the work ethic he developed when he almost had everything taken away.

Alex Anthopoulos is the 3rd GM since Pat Gillick, but I think he’s the 1st one that understands that the only way to build a team (absent a huge payroll, but even the Yankees have started to do this) is through the farm system. Right now the Jays farm system is quite easily the worst in the AL East. The Yankees and Red Sox got the jump on them and the Rays have been building theirs up for years. The Orioles system got a huge boost from the Bedard and Tejada trades. The other 4 GMs in the division are very shrewd, so he has his work cut out for him, but with this trade he’s off to a very good start. He’s also jacked up the scouting department from 27 to about 60. I don’t know how the heck you run a scouting department with 27 people, especially when you run your numbers guy (Keith Law) out of town, but whatever. That’s all in the past. Not looking forward to the last place finishes that will happen at some point in the near future. Just happy to see some sort of direction. That’s all I ask.

I’m a Jays fan as well. I agree that Doc will thrive in a pennant/playoff type atmosphere due to his relentless focus and preparation. As much as I love the guy I can’t agree with your stance that Halladay deserved the Cy Young over Lee in 2008. Halladay was behind Lee in almost every category that matters. Definitely deserved the runner-up spot, which he got, so no complaints here.

One game which always springs to mind is a duel he and Chien-Ming Wang had back in September 2007. The Blue Jays won 5-4 after 14 innings. Wang did a very adequate job of holding the Blue Jays at bay, but Halladay’s dominant performance through the first 8 innings is what always sticks out for me(probably because of how angry I was).

Good luck to him in the NL and I’ll echo the sentiment that it’ll be nice my team doesn’t have to face him anymore, but I will miss seeing him pitch.

Dunno what his FIP is in those starts.