Who's Kidding Who?

Joe Benigno

When I heard the news that Cliff Lee was signing with the Phillies, the first thought that came to my mind was Joe Benigno, with his hands raised in the air, screaming, "Who's kidding who?"  The second thought that came to my mind was the utter dominance of the Philly rotation.  This might be the most formidable rotation ever assembled.  I understand that Cole Hamels can be maddening to watch because he has so much untapped potential, but try to find me a better number four starter in all of baseball.  I'll save you the time searching, by telling you it cannot be done.  I also understand that Roy Oswalt is no longer in his prime, but the Texan can still flat our hurl with the best of 'em.  He showed his old form after joining Philadelphia by going 7-1 with a minuscule 1.74 ERA.  Based on last season, the Phillies rotation looks stellar with three potential hall of famers.

Phillies Rotation off Last Season
Rotation	Record	ERA
Roy Halladay	21-10	2.44
Cliff Lee	12-9	3.18
Roy Oswalt	13-13	2.76
Cole Hamels	12-11	3.06
Kyle Kendrick	11-10	4.73

You have to keep in mind that Cliff Lee's 2010 numbers were skewed by playing for a last place Mariner ballclub in the pacific northwest.  But, after joining the Rangers, he pitched to an ERA under 3.00 in 5 starts during the regular season, and we all know how dominant he was in the postseason.

The only rotations that compare historically to the Phillies are the '98 Braves, the '71 Orioles, the '66 Dodgers, and the '86 Mets.  Let's take a look at how these all-time rotations stacked up.

Tommy G earned the CY Young Award in 1998, as Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz finished 1-3-6 in ERA.  The combined ERA for the Braves staff was a haircut under 3.00, and an amazing 1.27 lower than the NL average in 1998.

1998 Braves
Rotation	Record	ERA
Tom Glavine	20-6	2.47
Greg Maddux	18-9	2.22
John Smoltz	17-3	2.9
Kevin Milwood	17-8	4.08
Denny Neagle	16-11	3.55

The '71 O's had four 20 game winners in their rotation, and the four starters had a combined 2.89 ERA, about a run less than the AL league average in 1971.

1971 Orioles
Rotation	Record	ERA
Dave McNally	21-5	2.68
Jim Palmer	20-9	2.68
Pat Dobson	20-8	2.9
Mike Cueller	20-9	3.08

The '66 Dodgers staff was comprised of three hall of famers, and probably the most dominant pitcher of all time.  Although the records of the remaining four starters after Koufax seem mediocre, you have to remember that the '66 Dodgers were not an offensive juggernaut (they got swept by the O's in '66 World Series, scoring their only two runs in Game 1).

1966 Dodgers
Rotation	Record	ERA
Sandy Koufax	27-9	1.73
Don Drysdale	13-16	3.42
Claude Osteen	17-14	2.85
Don Sutton	12-12	2.99
Rick Aguilera	10-7	3.88

In 1986, the Mets pitching staff dominated the NL, as Bobby O, Darling, and Doc finished 2-3-5 in ERA, and Sid, Doc, and Darling were all in the top seven in strikeouts.

1986 Mets
Rotation	Record	ERA
Dwight Gooden	17-6	2.84
Bob Ojeda	18-5	2.57
Sid Fernandez	16-6	3.52
Ron Darling	15-6	2.81
Rick Aguilera	10-7	3.88

 
As long as the Phillies rotation is able to stay healthy in 2011, it should stack up as one of the best of all time.  Coupled with an offense that has three hard-nose gamers in Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Jimmy Rollins, I wonder when November tickets will go on sale at Citizens Bank Park.