Listening to sports radio in Philly the past week or so (well only 950 ESPN, because I can’t stand WIP anymore), I have come to realize that there are way too many frightened Phillies fans. Too many people have tried to make a case against trading for Roy Halladay, who is THE BEST PITCHER IN BASEBALL.

I am constantly listening to arguments for keeping top prospects Kyle Drabek, Dominic Brown, and Michael Taylor. These guys could be the next Halladay, Cole Hamels, or Ryan Howard. Look what happened to the Montreal Expos when they traded Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee, and Brandon Phillips for Bartolo  Colon, who was then the best pitcher in baseball. We can’t be on the wrong side of Larry Anderson for Jeff Bagwell, again. Etc., etc., etc.

Yes, those are deals that did not work out. But look at how the Johan Santana to the Mets trade worked out. Can you even name those top tier prospects? Speaking of Santana, do you think Brian Cashman, GM of the Yankees, wishes he had traded Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy now?

More infuriating than being afraid to trade unproven prospects is the fury over wanting to hold on to pitcher J.A. Happ. Mike Missanelli constantly makes the case on his radio show (which I listen to every day, so I am biased towards Miss) that Phillies fans are some of the smartest fans in sports, and I tend to agree. But even Missanelli will have to rethink that theory after yelling all week at the idiots calling into his show saying they would hold up the deal if it involved Happ. This is a guy who is 27 years old, and has spent most of his career in the minor leagues, not impressing the front office enough for a call up. It wasn’t until last season that Happ started to come into his own and throw major league stuff. I believe Happ is a legitimate major league pitcher, but he is ultimately at best a number two guy in the rotation, and I think that’s stretching it. I like him on the team, but he cannot be allowed to battle with Joe Blanton as the next best pitching on the rotation after Cole Hamels. Neither of those guys are good enough to face off against Jon Lester, or A.J. Burnett, or even Ervin Santana. They definitely cannot face off against Roy Halladay, who, if the Phillies do not go out and get him, will almost certainly end up on a team that the Fightins will face at some point in the playoffs.

Halladay is a differeance maker. Look at what CC Sabathia did for the lackluster Milwaukee Brewers last season. True, he was ineffective in his one postseason start, but the Phillies are a much better team than the Brewers. Phillies fans need to understand that their team has a shot at making history, and could win another World Series, or two, or three in the next three to four years. The time is now. The time is not in five years.

Phillies fans need to man up and get on board.