You hate the "What If's."
You wonder what if "The Rotation" held up and made it through the 2011 season healthy.
Would it have brought the team another World Series championship?
We may never know. All we know is that Roy Halladay—once the franchise ace of the Philadelphia Phillies—may be riding off into the sunset.
Doc's tenure with the Phils is bound to come to an end this year now that he is on the shelf facing shoulder surgery next week. Maybe he comes back at the end of the year and pushes the Phils into the playoffs for a World Series run.
Doc's contract is up at the end of this year and there's no way the Phillies will pick up his $20 million option.
So Doc may win that elusive World Series. But it just might be with another team unless the Phillies can find one more dose of magic in this aging group to bring a title to the City of Brotherly Love.
We will always wonder whether Doc, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels—the Four Aces—with help from Kyle Kendrick and Vance Worley—could have put together the pitching that should have had the Phils win a second World Series since 2008.
But Lee's performance against the St. Louis Cardinals—when he had a 4-0 lead—probably cost the team that third franchise title.
Halladay will always be in our hearts, as one of the good guys, a guy who fit right in in Philly for his blue-collar work ethic and nerves of steel.
He never complained and always did everything possible to pitch.
We will always remember those perfect pitches and perfect games, the one against the Florida Marlins and the playoff perfection against the Cincinnati Reds.
Doc dazzled.
But this Halladay is a broken down warrior. Maybe the removal of a bone spur will add life into Doc's fastball and location and give him a few more precious years on the mound.
We've been spoiled as fans of late for having such pitching excellence in Lee, Halladay and Hamels. Throw in Brad Lidge's perfect save year and we're really spoiled.
We'll miss Doc. And if this year turns out like last year for the team, we'll be saying goodbye.
Doc, we'll always have fond memories. We're sorry we didn't get you that World Series ring.