Cliff Lee Making New Friends in Seattle Digs: Bonding With Teammates, Getting Ejected

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It should come as no surprise to anyone in Philly to hear that Cliff Lee's new Mariner teammates are rallying around him on the field. We watched the Phils do the same plenty of times in the second half of last season (7 W's in 11 decisions) and of course the postseason, where the Phillies won each of Lee's five starts.  

The circumstances of Lee's latest team-building exercise might be a little unconventional, but we're anticipating the results will be the same. Yesterday, in a spring training game in Tucson, Lee was nearing the end of his start, facing D-Back Chris Snyder with two outs in the third inning. Lee, who said after the game he was working on pitching inside during the start, mmmaybe threw a pitch in over Snyder's head, nearly sending the Arizona catcher into slow-mound-charge mode. 

Both benches cleared, but sadly, order was restored before emotions reached epic levels for a spring training game. 

Lee had this to say, per the Seattle Times:

"I was trying to go inside," Lee said. "I'd been trying to go inside all day, and it's been leaking back on the plate. I had one more out and one more inning (to pitch) and I was just really making sure I got it in on the righties. The first one was eight or nine inches off the plate, and the second one really kind of got away from me. I think I overthrew that one a little bit. But it happens."  

See that, Chris Snyder? It was an accident! You are awarded no activity-inspired T-shirts.

Cliff Lee is so good that Diamondbacks third baseman Mark Reynolds found a way to compliment him just a few breaths after angrily calling the move "bush league."

"We were hitting him around a little bit and the (pitch at Snyder's head) was just uncalled for in that situation. I've faced Cliff Lee plenty of times to know he's got amazing control."  

Truth? He does. It may sting a little to hear how much fun Clifton Phifer is having so soon after leaving us, and the only comfort I can offer you there is to relay that he did get knocked around yesterday, letting up four runs on six hits. Doesn't help though, does it?

Video and more on the story, including a first-inning collision that may have provided some inspiration, here

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