Cliff Lee is Going to be a MONSTER Next Year

I know he isn’t an Indian anymore, but Cliff Lee used to be (As recent as last July, remember?) and when I read this story about Lee throwing at Diamondbacks catcher Chris Snyder, I thought one thing: Cliff Lee is PISSED.

Now I know I promised a fantasy primer on the Tribe pitchers, but to be honest they aren’t very good so I figure it can wait a day or two and let me gush about the ex-Indians Cy Young winner.

So I’d like to make my first bold prediction for the upcoming season. I’m going official here: Cliff Lee will be a force to be reckoned with on the Seattle Mariners.

I’ve had this idea for a little while, ever since oh say, he was traded to the Mariners, essentially as a swap for Roy Halladay. Lee had to have been upset, being traded from a World Series team in Philadelphia, to a team that has struggled in recent years, albeit one that is making signifigant upgrades, Lee being one of them.  Wanna know what happened when Lee was pissed off the last time?

An outstanding half-season in Philly followed by a sparkling postseason performance: 1.56 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 2 complete games, and 33 strikeouts (No HR allowed in 40.1 IP).

Cliff Lee was pissed the Indians didn’t want him anymore. Pissed they didn’t think he was worth the contract extension. Pissed they didn’t think he could repeat his performance from 2008.Pissed that they traded him in the middle of July for a bunch of prospects.

Oh yeah, that Cy Young winning season. Why’d that happen? Probably because Lee got pissed again (and he found his control), at the Indians for demoting him to the minors in 2007, and then leaving him off the postseason roster (was that really just 3 years ago?).

When Cliff Lee is pissed, it seems he tries to make himself better, to prove everyone wrong. And I love this about Lee.

Now he’s pissed again, this time that the Phillies thought Halladay was better with him, after all he did last year. And the American League better watch out.

Now, throwing at guy’s heads isn’t the smartest idea (C’mon Cliff, it’s spring training!) but I love that fire in him. And that’s why I’m gonna go ahead and make my prediction: With apologies to my fantasy stalwart Zack Greinke, Cliff Lee will win the 2010 AL Cy Young award.  And he won’t just win it, he’ll win it in style.

/rant