Cliff Lee and The 10 Biggest Athletes in Philadelphia Sports
Cliff Lee shocked the baseball world today by announcing that he would sign with his former team, the Philadelphia Phillies.
Lee joins an already star-studded rotation and returns to his rightful place as one of most recognizable figures in the entire city of Philadelphia.
But he's not alone. The city is ripe with talent and has at least two franchises with serious championship aspirations. What other Philly sports stars are high in the public consciousness?
Let's find out.
10. Mike Richards, Flyers
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Richards may or may not actually belong on this list. But assuming there are still some Flyers' fans out there, the least I can do is include their best player.
That player would be Richards, a 25-year-old center from Ontario who leads the Flyers in points this season with 30.
He was an All-Star in 2008 and twice was named the Flyers' MVP, including in 2007-08 when he was also voted as Flyers' fan favorite.
Richards has two consecutive 30-goal seasons under his belt and has recorded 283 career points in 372 NHL games. He's also scored 15 goals in the postseason and owns the NHL record for most 5-on-3 short-handed goals with three career strikes.
Richards is now the Flyers captain and was one of the main catalysts in leading Philadelphia to the Stanley Cup last season. The Flyers are currently second in the Atlantic Division with a 19-7-5 record.
9. DeSean Jackson, Eagles
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Jackson is the Eagles No. 1 wide receiver and he's having another fantastic season despite struggling with various injuries. He's caught 42 passes for 972 yards and six touchdowns as an integral part of one of the NFL's most explosive offenses.
Jackson was drafted by the Eagles in the second round of the 2008 draft and immediately became an important contributor. He had 912 receiving yards in his rookie season and then reached 1,156 receiving yards in his sophomore campaign. He also contributes with punt returns and has been known to rush the ball on occasion.
Despite his small size (5'10", 175 lbs), Jackson has developed into one of the top wide receivers in football and a lethal open-field runner. He was a Pro Bowler last season and has a strong chance of returning to Hawaii this season.
8. Andre Iguodala, 76ers
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The 76ers might be one of the worst teams in the NBA, but they certainly don't have Iguodala to blame for that.
The 6'6", 207-pound swingman out of Arizona is, without a doubt, the 76ers best player and one of the better players in the entire league. He's having another outstanding season, averaging 14.1 points and 5.8 assists per game while shooting 33.3 percent from three.
He's scored at least 1,000 points in five consecutive seasons and is well on his way to his sixth. He's also a skilled rebounder and defender, with a career 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game.
Anybody who hadn't heard of Iguodala certainly took notice during the recent FIBA Championships in Turkey, when the man known as A.I. 2 was one of the best players on a star-studded USA team that ended up winning gold.
7. Jimmy Rollins, Phillies
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Rollins is the longest tenured Philadelphian on this list, having spent his entire 11-year major league career with the Phillies. He hasn't been quite the same player since 2007, when he was the NL MVP, but Rollins is still one of the best players to ever put on a Phillies uniform.
His career numbers are a testament to his success: 1,494 games played. 1,714 hits. 154 home runs and 343 stolen bases with a career line of .272/.328/.435. He also has three All-Star appearances and three Gold Gloves and one MVP.
Rollins has been one of the best shortstops in the game during his time in Philadelphia and, at only 32, he could make a strong case for the Hall of Fame if he puts together a few more good seasons.
Rollins' contract is set to expire after this season and, although the Phillies would love to him back, they may have trouble finding room for his contract with the recent Cliff Lee signing. Still, he will go down one day as one of the greatest Phillies who ever lived.
6. Asante Samuel, Eagles
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Samuel was one of the NFL's best defensive backs while with the New England Patriots, but after Bill Belichick and company refused to to sign him to the long-term contract he coveted, Samuel bolted (literally) for the Eagles. Within hours of the start of free agency in 2008, Samuel had signed a six-year, $56 million deal with Philadelphia.
It's been a great deal for both sides as Samuel has recorded 20 interceptions for the Eagles, including a Philadelphia-record nine interceptions in 2009. He's been named to three consecutive Pro Bowls and that trend should continue this season.
The Eagles offense may get more attention, but it is Samuel who is the anchor of a defense that is key to Philadelphia's Super Bowl hopes.
5. Chase Utley, Phillies
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Speaking of great Phillies, how about this guy?
Utley is 31 years old but he plays like he's still in his mid-20s. He missed time due to injuries in 2010, but his career line of .293/.380/.514 is remarkable for a second baseman. Heck, it's remarkable for anyone.
Utley has three seasons of at least 30 home runs and three seasons of at least 40 doubles. He's also stolen 96 career bases in nine major league seasons. He's made five consecutive All-Star teams and, had he not been injured in 2010, would have won his fifth consecutive Silver Slugger award. Oh, and he finished in the top 15 in MVP voting for five years in a row.
Utley signed a seven-year, $85 million contract extension with the Phillies in 2007 and will be with the team through the 2013 season. That's enough time to break some Philadelphia records.
4. Ryan Howard, Phillies
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Oh, and speaking of records, Howard is on pace to break a few of his own.
The burly 6'4", 255-pound left-handed hitting first basemen is one of baseball's most prolific sluggers. His career OPS is an unconscious .944. He's already hit 253 career home runs in just seven seasons and is not anywhere close to done.
He won Rookie of the Year in 2005, MVP in 2006, and finished second in MVP voting in 2008 when the Phillies won the World Series over the New York Yankees. In fact, he's finished in the top 10 in MVP voting for five straight years.
Howard is 30 years old and is under contract with the Phillies through the 2017 season, meaning he will probably hit his 500th home run while with the Phillies. And maybe even his 600th.
3. Cliff Lee, Phillies
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Lee was brilliant in his first go-around with the Phillies in 2009, making 12 starts with an ERA of 3.39 and a strikeout-per-nine-innings rate of 9.4. But for some reason, Philadelphia decided to let him go, trading the lefty ace to the Seattle Mariners before the 2010 season.
Now Lee is back and he gives the Phillies the most formidable 1-2 punch in perhaps the history of baseball. (More on that later.)
If there's any doubt about how good of a pitcher Lee is, then consider this. In three consecutive seasons, he's pitched at least 200 innings and his ERA has not gone above 3.22 with his WHIP staying below 1.25. He was a Cy Young winner in 2008, but also received consideration in 2005 and 2010. This guy is about as good as they get and he's still only 32 years old.
Lee's presence in the Philadelphia clubhouse should be enough to make the Phillies the favorites to come out of the National League.
2. Michael Vick, Eagles
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It's incredible how far Vick has come, from national pariah to fan favorite. But that's what happens when you play the way Vick has played this season.
After wrestling the job from Kevin Kolb, Vick has reestablished himself as one of the NFL's best quarterbacks, a title he hasn't enjoyed since 2006.
He has thrown 2,513 yards and 17 touchdowns this season despite playing in only 10 games. He also has 483 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns to his name as he has finally become the double threat everyone thought he could be when he was drafted first overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2001 NFL Draft.
The Eagles are one of the few teams in the NFC with a legitimate chance at the Super Bowl and they have Vick to thank for that.
1. Roy Halladay
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Was there ever any doubt?
Halladay is not only the best player the Phillies have right now, he's one of the best players in the history of the game.
The 33-year old righty was 21-10 last season with a 2.44 ERA and 1.041 WHIP. He struck out 219 batters and pitched over 250 innings, including a league-leading nine complete games and four shutouts. Oh, and there's the perfect games to consider, one during the regular season and another in the opening game of the playoffs. Naturally, he won his second career Cy Young award.
Halladay has now finished in the top five in Cy Young voting a total of six times, and has been named to seven All-Star teams. That kind of performance and consistency is almost unheard of for a pitcher. The only thing he hasn't accomplished yet is to win a World Series, but that could soon change with the arrival of another certain ace in Philadelphia.
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