Ted Lilly

From SoSH

Ted Lilly is currently a tolerable pitcher for the star-crossed Chicago Cubs.

Contents 1 Early Career 2 Lilly in the Bronx 3 Oaktown and Back North Again 4 Ted on the Northside 5 Ted's Future 6 Awards and Achievements

Early Career

Ted was drafted in the 23rd round of the 1996 Amateur Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. The local kid didn't play one game for LA, as he was part of a trade that sent several players to the Montreal Expos. Ted's tenure in Montreal would be short, as he was shipped to the New York Yankees before the 2000 season for Hideki Irabu.

Lilly in the Bronx

Lilly's time in the Bronx was largely nondescript. He was used as a #4/5 starter and occasional long man. He improved in 2002, posting 76 innings worth of 130 ERA+ ball before being traded to the Oakland Athletics in a 3-team trade. He didn't pitch a single inning of playoff ball for the Yankees and was generally a non-factor for the club.

Oaktown and Back North Again

Lilly joined a dominant rotation in Oakland. Anchored by the "Big Three" of Barry Zito, Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson, Ted made spot starts for the Athletics down the stretch in 2002. In the 2002 ALDS against the Minnesota Twins, Lilly came out of the bullpen twice and was shelled, giving up six earned runs in a mere four innings of work. He posted the highest ERA of any Athletics pitcher and drew the ire of many an Athletics fan.

2003 brought a moderate level of success to Ted. Part of an incredible pitching staff that included current and future All-Stars Barry Zito, Mark Mulder, Tim Hudson, Aaron Harang and Rich Harden, Ted started 32 games. However, his shining moment (and moment of Red Sox villainy) came in the 2003 ALDS. Up 2-0 in the series, Ted threw 7 inspired innings, giving up one unearned run in game 3 at historic Fenway Park. He would also make a relief appearance in deciding game 5, giving up no runs. The Red Sox would go on to win the series, 3-2, in the penultimate series coached by Grady Little as the manager of the Red Sox.

After the 2003 season, Ted was shipped to the Toronto Blue Jays for OF Bobby Kielty. 2004 would prove to be an outstanding year for Ted, as he threw 197 innings of 119 ERA+ ball and was named to the American League All-Star team. Ted regressed to the mean in 2005 and 2006 though, and he was granted free agency at the end of the 2006 season.

Ted on the Northside

The Chicago Cubs, coming off a disastrous 2006 campaign that saw them go 66-96 and leave Wrigley Field partially empty by the end of the year, needed pitching help. Despite showing little other than league-average skills, Lilly signed a 4-year deal in excess of $40 million as part of an enormous Cubbie spending spree. Pitching in the NL, Ted threw over 200 innings in 2007 and 2008, put up an average ERA+ of 116, with an excellent W-L record and peripherals. For once, the Cubs seemed to do something right.

In the postseason though, Ted harnessed his inner Cubbie, getting shelled in the 2007 NLDS against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Cubs were swept out of the playoffs and like Oakland, Ted was the subject of many a Northsider's ire. Ted did not appear in the 2008 NLDS.

Ted's Future

For the foreseeable future, Ted will be a member of the Chicago Cubs. However, he turns 33 in 2009, a time when many pitchers start their inevitable decline. Time will tell whether Ted joins the Cubs pantheon as a World Series winner or is forgotten as merely a hired gun.

Awards and Achievements

• 2004 American League All-Star