Lidge is looking more like a dimmer switch these days than lights out. I gotta agree that he's not quite the same since Pujoot got him.
It seems to me that if the problem is that hitters are recognizing the slider and laying off, he should try throwing it for strikes. No? If the problem is general location on his pitches, then I don't know what to say.
Garner destroyed Lidge, he should have let him close in game 6 last year, but I have said this for a while, Garner is a dumb manager, he makes a lot of mistakes, especially in the playoffs (he wasnt the reason we got to the world series last year)
I wonder why people don't talk about Scott freaking Podsednik's homerun more than Pujols. Posednik has no power whatsoever and Lidge blew it in the WORLD SERIES. We beat the Cards even though Lidge gave up a homer to the best player in baseball. He seemed to be ok with that. But how you bounce back from a game winner to that pip squeak is beyond me. If either of those home runs have done damage I would imagine it was that one. That took the life out of us.
I think Lidge should ditch his 4 seamer and throw a 2 seam fastball with a little more movement and a little less velocity. His strikeout pitch could still be his slider. I think with a 2 seamer, he'd be less prone to giving up homeruns, which apparently Lidge is good at. Lidge could be a strikeout/groundout closer.
Pujols homer came first so the argument was that the aura of invincibiliaty had already come off of Lidge by the time Posednik hit his.
I think Brad Lidge is just way too inconsistent. He's basically got two pitches. If he's not "on" with those two pitches, then he's beatable. The slider in the dirt pitch, which used to work for him well before, is not getting it done because the batters have come to expect it. Then, he ends up falling behind in the count to where the hitters know a fastball is coming as he needs to throw a strike. If I were facing Lidge, then I wouldn't even bother swinging at the first two or three pitches the way he has been going cause, more than likely, their going to be balls. Then, once he falls behind, I would be looking fastball cause it's really his only other pitch and he throws it when he needs a strike. And, his fastball is definitely hittable...especially if he isn't locating it well. His slider works well when he's ahead in the count and then he can usually just throw a slider in the dirt to get a "K". As far as throwing his slider for strikes, I don't think he can do it consistently and, if he did, then it would get pounded if it is up in the strike zone. Just my opinion.
I think that Buck T has it down. It is quite obvious that Brad's mechanics are really off at this point. The location on the fastball seems to be the main issue here. Velocity is right where it should be. He just needs to locate it, and it'll be lights out. He has been pitching exclusively from the stretch for the last few games while working the kinks out. As far as the league "figuring him out", you have to remember that baseball is a game of never-ending adjustments. He'll make his accordingly if he is infact tipping pitches. He'll be fine. Let's all be thankful that it's April, and we will all have forgotten about this when he's slamming the door on the league in October.
I think there are few closers that are going to have a perfect season. Gagne is hurt right now, and he was the best hope. Lidge is on pace to have a good year regarding his saves. Sometimes, though he will blow the save, and he is going to rocked. That doesn't make him a bad reliever.
He is on pace to have a good season in numbers but he looks lost out there and his ERA is terrible. Personally, I'm concerned. He's clearly not the same pitcher he was in the past right now (I'm not saying he can't get back to being that guy but we all know he isn't now). When Lidge takes the mound in a 1 run game now I actually worry, and that's something i never thought would happen.
I understand. I get a little nervous as well. I think he no longer flies under the radar the way he did before, and hitters can try and pick their pitch against him. I also think that if he can have some real successes, and solid outings, the momentum will swing his way again. I don't think he all of a sudden became a bad reliever.
im sure half of those he almost blew like the one last week against the brewers 13-10 going into the ninth....and saturday night against teh pirates he got the save by recording one out. that doesnt count in my book....
Without going through this entire thread, let me first say that, yes, there is something not right about Brad Lidge. However, is it not possible that the WBC had an effect on his spring and that he is a little behind where he should be at this point? Read this article... Classic theory has pitchers in a funk Many pitchers that participated have had very bad starts to the season, including Johan Santana. It threw off their routine. Instead of working on new stuff or refining the old stuff, they were pitching in a World Series type environment. It had an effect of all of them. Lidge and Wheeler are included in this. Give them some time and I'll bet they'll both be back to what they are capable of being...dominant relief pitchers.
