Gonzo: All things considered, Lee'd rather be in Philadelphia

Days later, some people are still trying to make sense of it. Cliff Lee is back in Philly. It wasn't some form of cruel, Bud Selig- imposed punishment. Lee chose this course and seemed happy to do so. That remains a tough thing for out-of-towners and the national media to accept.

To hear outsiders tell it, this isn't a place anyone should choose over New York (or any other place, for that matter), and certainly not for less money. It's a city you're supposed to run away from, not toward.

Big bad Philly, after all, is populated by lawless cretins and slobbering savages. There's old stock footage of poor St. Nick being pelted with snowballs, and if you go to a baseball game all 45,000 people will get exceedingly drunk and projectile-vomit on you. The president should declare martial law and ring the city with the National Guard. No one in or out. It's safer for everyone that way.

And yet here Lee is. Again. He came back and brought his two small children and his wife, Kristen (who raved about the city).

"It feels great to land back here in Philadelphia. . . . Here I am," Lee said. "I never wanted to leave this place in the first place."

That will almost surely short-circuit the hard-wiring of columnists and talking heads across the land. Beyond the city limits, there was no shortage of shock over Lee's move - partly because no one saw it coming, mainly because a lot of people had a difficult time merging this new reality with the old, hardened, lazy stereotypes of what Philadelphia is and isn't.

Lee was asked about that more than once when he was reintroduced to the town and the media. And more than once said: "Once the Phillies got involved . . . it was a no-brainer."

The Phillies added another ace to their staff. They have four legitimate No. 1 starters now, and they're the favorites according to Vegas to win it all next season. That was obviously a huge attraction for Lee. Like the rest of his teammates, he wants to win a championship. The Fightin's gave him the best opportunity to make that happen.

Lee said quite a few times in quite a few ways how fond he is of the organization and the players. He's comfortable here - with the Phillies and the city, too. There's reputation and then there's reality. Lee is smart enough to know the difference.