Saint Rubin Amaro, Jr.

 

Rubin Amaro, Jr.

The Four Aces

Not Al Alberts and his acapella group from Philly who sang schmaltz songs through the fifties and sixties, but Cliff Lee, Roy Halliday, Roy Oswaldt and Cole Hammels. Now there's Four Aces for you.

As everybody who lives in New Jersey knows and understands, those who live in North Jersey are New York sports fans and support the Yankees, Giants, Mets, Knicks and Devils, while those who live in South Jersey are Philadelphia sports fans, who root for the Phillies, Eagles, Flyers and 76ers.

So the news that filtered out of offices of the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers was that they were notified late Monday night that they lost in their bidding war for free agent starting pitcher Cliff Lee, which was surprising because as far as anybody knew they were the only teams in the running for the top prized ace.

To the surprise of practically everybody, Lee turned down six and seven year deals with the Yankees and Rangers for over a hundred and fifty million dollars in order to signe with the Philadelphia Phillies for fifty millions and two years less.

There should be an exclamation point after that statement, but in retrospect, it should be so surprsing since Lee didn't wanted to be traded after helping the Phillies get back to the World Series, only to lose to the Yankees in six games, with Lee winning two.

Lee went to Seatle and then to the Rangers, where he performed similar duties for the Rangers, getting them to the World Series only to lose to the San Fran Giants.

After mentioning more than once that the best time he ever had in baseball was to play for the Phillies and pitch against the Yankees in the World Series, and knowing that his wife had expressed displeasure at having been spit on by Yankee fans, she too pulled some weight in expressing her fondness for Philadelphia.

What's with Philadelphia that would have someone turn down fifty million dollars in order to work and play there?

Cheesesteaks. Tastycakes. Scrapple. South Street. The Four Aces.

Al Alberts and the Four Aces adaquetly represent the schmaltz nature of Philadelphia, where do wop singers can be found singing on street corners outside walk way cheesteak grills.

And for some reason, Cliff Lee, the guy Rubin Amaro, Jr. gave up to get Roy Halliday, has redeemed himself and pulled off the most remarkable deal of the century, bringing Cliff Lee back to Philadelpia.

Oh, yea, Rubin Amaro, Jr., the son of Rubin, Sr., fan favorite, Cuban born shortstop for popular Phillies championship team, later coach while his son was a bat boy, Stanford national champion as leadoff batter, professonal player with three teams, including Phillies, so when he retired from playing, he quickly found a job in the Phillies front office. There he stayed for ten years before taking over the General Manager job shortly after the Phillies won the World Series.

After swinging the deal for Lee, the Philly fans turned on Amaro, questioning his judgements in trading Lee in order to get Halliday, but now, after acquring Oswaldt, and now signing Cliff Lee, Amaro has achieved Saint Status in Philadelphia and South Jersey.

God Bless Rubin Amaro, Jr.