79th Major League All-Star Game: Indians’ Lee earns starting nod, continues amazing turnaround from last year
Chris Assenheimer | The Chronicle-Telegram
CLEVELAND — His first appearance in an All-Star Game would have been enough for Indians pitcher Cliff Lee.
Thanks to a brilliant opening half and the decision of American League manager Terry Francona, the left-hander is going to get much more than that.
On Monday, Francona, manager of the defending world champion Boston Red Sox, named Lee (12-2, 2.31 ERA) the AL starter for the 79th All-Star Game tonight at Yankee Stadium.
It’s the first time the honor has been bestowed on a Cleveland pitcher since Charles Nagy threw the first AL pitch in 1996 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia during the last NL win.
“I’m just honored to be here, to be honest with you,” Lee said during a news conference Monday at Yankee Stadium. “To get the start is just icing on the cake. … I’m kind of awestruck by it.”
It’s been a remarkable turnaround for Lee, who at this time last year was en route to pitching himself out of the Indians’ rotation and onto the Triple-A Buffalo roster, during a season in which he went a disappointing 5-8 with a 6.29 ERA in 20 games (16 starts) on the big league level.
Lee, 29, was forced to earn a spot in the rotation as Cleveland’s fifth starter this spring, winning the job and offering up one of the most memorable first halves in Indians history.
He won his first six starts, while posting a microscopic 0.83 ERA, and 11 of his first 12 decisions to become just the fourth Cleveland pitcher — joining Johnny Allen (1937), Gaylord Perry (1974) and Nagy (’96) — to begin the season 11-1 or better.
Only three pitchers in major league history have ever posted a lower ERA than Lee while winning their first six starts — the Dodgers’ Fernando Valenzuela (0.33 in 1981), Toronto’s Roger Clemens (0.73 in 1991) and Boston’s Pedro Martinez (0.79 in 1997). Included in Lee’s sparkling first-half performance was a scoreless-innings streak that reached 27 — the most by a Cleveland pitcher since Dan Spillner tossed 291/3 shutout innings in 1982.
He is tied for the league lead in wins and ranks second in ERA.
“There’s a lot of pitchers this year that are having outstanding years, first halves really, but none of them measured up to Cliff’s,” said Francona with Lee seated next to him. “From the very first start of the year to three days ago (Lee’s last start of year Friday in Cleveland), he’s been the most outstanding pitcher in the league this year.”
Lee’s competition to start the game included Los Angeles’ Joe Saunders (12-5, 3.07) and Ervin Santana (11-3, 3.34), Oakland’s Justin Duchscherer (10-5, 1.82), Toronto’s Roy Halladay (11-6, 2.71) and New York’s Mike Mussina (11-6, 3.61).
Lee, who was acquired as part of a trade with Montreal for Bartolo Colon in 2002 that also netted fellow all-star Grady Sizemore and second baseman Brandon Phillips, now with the Reds, won 46 games a staple of Cleveland’s rotation from 2004-06.
The Benton, Ark., native’s best year came in 2005, when he went 18-5 with a 3.79 ERA, the same season rotation mate and current Rangers starter Kevin Millwood won the league’s ERA title.
Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com.
TONIGHT
WHAT: 79th Major League Baseball All-Star Game
WHO: American League vs. National League
TIME: 8 o’clock
WHERE: Yankee Stadium, New York
STARTING PITCHERS: Cliff Lee, Indians, (12-2, 2.31 ERA) vs. Ben Sheets, Brewers, (10-3, 2.85)
TV/RADIO: Channel 8; WKNR 850-AM
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Filed by Chris Assenheimer | The Chronicle-Telegram July 15th, 2008 in Sports. Popularity: 4% |
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