Is Madson better suited for the closer role than Lidge?
The Phillies lost a game, and that will happen from time to time. The stinging part is how they lost. Brad Lidge again blew a lead in the ninth inning, although this time he had a little help from his friends.
With the two on and two out in that fateful inning, Russell Martin stepped to the dish and hit a grounder to the always surehanded Pedro Feliz. Defense has been a staple of the Phils early season success, but on Friday night it was Feliz who may have cost them the game. On that ground ball, Feliz booted it, Martin reached base, and with the bags full, Andre Ethier finished it. The Dodgers right fielder slammed a ball into the right corner, scoring two, making it a 4-3 comeback on the vulnerable Lidge.
Now, blame Feliz all you want, which is what seems to be the case on the Twitter pages and blog sites today. You can also blame the offense which, as a team, stranded 11 baserunners. But the fact remains that Lidge is having a tough time retiring the side easily, something we became accustomed to in 2008. This was more Lidge’s fault than anyone else because he allowed two base runners after retiring the first two batters of the inning quickly. At some point, Charlie Manuel and his staff need to step back and reassess the job Lidge has done. But when exactly is that point?
In my opinion, give Lidge until the All-Star break to figure out what has gone so wrong this year. His ERA stands 7.20, over five runs higher than last season. Lidge has said his knee has not been a problem, but surely something ails him right now. By the midsummer break, the Phillies should have a better understanding of what Lidge can bring to the table for the remainder of this year. How many more blown games should the team have to endure before the switch has to be made.
That leads me to the answer – Ryan Madson. Mad Dog has been superb in his set up role for the last few seasons, and is certainly a Grade-A insurance policy for the now-brittle Lidge. Madson consistently reaches the mid-90’s and his breaking stuff is some of the best in baseball. He was made for the ninth inning.
For now, the rally cries continue to be positive behind Brad Lidge, and rightfully so. His season-long triumph last season warrants him the opportunity to turn this around. If not, Madson is waiting on the doorstep, he and his 95 mph fastball. So, while the hope around town is to see Lidge succeed, the pieces are in place if he does not. We’ll talk at the break.
Comments
I don't disagree with your point about considering Madson as the closer over Lidge. However, I do want to point out that during Lidge's 2008 "perfect" season, he had trouble on occasion retiring the side as well. He walked guys, ran counts to 3-2 after being way ahead, and also defense bailed him out on a number of occasions.
When the Braves were down by one run and Yunel Escobar singled up the middle, Shane Victorino threw out the game-tieing run. Then, the game to clinch the NL East, Jimmy Rollins made a spectacular play on a hard-hit ground ball and turn two to beat the Nationals.
So it's not all 1-2-3 innings for Lidge and it's actually quite the opposite. He very rarely makes it easy. We just had the confidence that he would eventually get it done. Let's renew that confidence and know that he will bounce back and do his job.
Well - I am man enough to say I was wrong several hours ago. It's time for a change.
Charlie Manuel is a pretty stubborn guy, and that’s what more than half a century in baseball will do to you. He knows the game, and he knows how making certain moves will fluctuate the emotions of players. Either way, the fans and Charlie are going to continue disagreeing on what to do with Lidge.
A lot of fans want to see Madson close, but it’s not going to happen. I personally don’t trust Brad Lidge anymore in a close game, especially with a 1-run lead in the 9th inning.
Over at our site we put together a brutal top-ten list of some other things we’d never trust Brad Lidge to do. You guys will enjoy it.
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