Whoohoo! Stros win! The Astros should send Lidge to the minors and have him work on some things. That way we can keep him in the closers role.
Lidge needs to benched. His fastball is 90-91 mph and slider has no bite or control. Seattle and Texas benched their all-star closers so should the Astros. Qualls and Wheeler could get the job done IMO.
Gallo for closer? If lidge gets demoted, i would think that qualls rather than wheeler would be next in line to close, right?
I'm thinking the same thing. I know normally established players don't get sent down to work things out, but Lidge needs a no pressure situation to just try to throw strikes and get people out. He's not going to get that as a reliever in the big leagues.
Man the Astros are cold playing on the road this year, 5-11 so far. They are the complete opposite playing at MMP. My hope is that the Stros can get back to .500 ball on the road at least. Time to start auditioning closers.
I really would rather not invoke this comparison... But look at Mark Wohlers' 1996 (age 26): 39 saves, 100 Ks, 21 BBs, 1.19 WHIP, 3.03 ERA. Compare that to Lidge's 2005 (age 28): 42 saves, 103 Ks, 23 BBs, 1.15 WHIP, 2.29 ERA. 2 years later, Wohlers lost his closer's job: 8 saves, 22 Ks, 33 BBs, 2.51 WHIP, 10.18 ERA. Lidge is at 11 saves, 23 Ks, 16 BBs, 1.98 WHIP, 6.48 ERA. Better than the Wohlers meltdown, but he's catching up... It can happen...
That game last night was tough I had dodger fans heckling me for 8 innings. Berkman shut em up for a while though. Go Big Puma.
While Lidge did look terrible today, his fastball was still in the mid-90's. He just isn't getting the ball down and over the plate like he had been the last few years. Something is most certainly wrong with him. I don't think a demotion to the minors is the way to go. Maybe a MRI just to be sure nothing is physically wrong. The Yankees did that with Randy Johnson just yesterday. He said it took a lot off of his mind knowing that it isn't something physical. His slider isn't as tight as it typically is when he's dominating. His fastball is up. It seems to me that it might be something in his release point keeping him from getting over the ball. He just needs some work on the side.
While the stats look similiar, its not the same thing... Wohlers was just soooo wild after he "lost it", that nobody could mistake the fact that he was simply letting his mind get in the way. Lidge is missing, but not missing by much... which points more to subtle mechanical issues, or a physical ailment. Wohlers couldn't throw a strike on the corner AT ALL... and pretty much telegraphed every pitch he did throw over, like he was throwing it under-handed.
I've been wondering if Lidge is hiding an injury, but I haven't seen him pitch yet so it's hard for me to comment. But if he's topping out at the mid-90s with his fastball while mostly hitting the low 90s, you've got to wonder. I"m all for guys toughening up and playing through the pain, but if you're hurting the team, you've got to come clean and go on the DL if necessary ...
I remember one year Wagner was blowing saves (I wanna say 2000) left and right and it finally came out that he was hurt, but he didn't want to admit it. Maybe (hopefully) Lidge is going through the same thing...
It is similiar... but with Lidge's history of arm trouble and multiple surgeries, I would be suprised if he decided that now would be the time to not say anything. I don't think he'd be worried about not coming back strong... he obviously had no trouble making it in the big leagues after all those arm surgeries before-hand. It could just be extreme fatigue from pitching 3+ years of over 70 innings, often times multiple innings each outing. That's A LOT to ask for a guy who's supposed to be simply "short-releif". Or, more likely, it could also be that he's tried to over-correct his mechanics/approach to the point that he just doesn't feel confident in anything he's doing. He even said as much in the game recap... how he's never been a real "control" guy (nibbling the corners, border-line strikes), and he may just be trying to be a little too selective/perfect with his pitches, instead of just throwing. I say him and Ausmus just stop all the "thinking", and just throw. Garner shouldn't tell him to throw just fastballs (like he clearly was today)... but to throw whatever he's comfortable with that given day. I also feel that he could go back to the windup (provided he has good bullpen sessions with it) because that's the only way he's ever really known how to pitch... and everytime he starts an inning from the stretch, it could just be a constant reminder of how much he's trying to change who he is. Then again, as Kent said in the recap, this could just be a case of the league having seeing a lot of this guy by now (remember, he pitched a ton in 2003 as a 7th inning/middle releif guy, and guys got some good hits off him then). If that's the case, adjustments definitely have to be made... but perhaps they can tinker a little bit, rather than completely try to re-invent him.
He needs to move all the change from his left to his right pocket, and put his hat on sideways. Just pitch the ball Brad -errr Roy Macolvoy ! DD
Wandy has been awesome this season. He has been the HUGE suprise bright spot IMO. Keep it up Wandy! TIme to show the Rocky b****es what we're like at home. STROS ARE GOING TO SWEEP COLORADO!!!!!
wow, could this guy's confidence have really been shaken that badly by pujols or is it something else. just unbelievable. I haven't been ready to see this guy benched like a lot of people but its getting harder and harder to watch him. I just refuse to believe its his confidence, he seems so steady.
