I thought Lidge was in a mini-slump before the playoffs last season. I don't have any numbers to back me up, but it seemed like he lost his razor sharp control and started walking people more. This year he's walked a ton of people compared to what he usually does. His control is definitely off. I heard on the radio he was working on pitching exclusively from the stretch. Maybe he's still adjusting.
Shh... don't tell anybody... but Lidge's WHIP and BB's went up significantly as the season went on (compared to 2004), and he had a rough final series against the Cubs. He also didn't look good in games 3 or 4 of the NLCS... but people are only remembering game 5 (because the save was actually blown). He also ends up giving a 2 out hit to Eckstein that game, and WALKS Jim Edomonds (a guy he'd struck out virtually every single time before that) before he even faced Pujols. But once again... shh... people like to think that Pujols ruined him forever, and he'll never ever ever recover.
shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. pujols is a beast. shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh he ruined brad lidge's career. shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh he should apologize to him
up by one tonight, ended up loading the bases, was lucky to only give up one run. It is a wild time when this closer comes into the game here lately.
Gotta agree with you there. As was previously mentioned, if you need an illustration on how one play can ruin your career mentally, you need look no further than Mitch Williams. He never recovered from what old Joe Carter did to him. Or how about Nick "The Brick" Anderson, who was a solid percentage shooter for the Orlando Magic, before bricking four straight free-throws in the NBA finals? He might as well have retired after that game, his career was so over. Lidge may not be completely dead yet, but he has definitely lost his mental edge. He's shown he's vulnerable, and that's awfully dangerous for a closer.
He had been struggling before that. The reality of the matter is that his slider is a ball the majority of the time. Hitters are taking early and getting ahead in the count. They end up walking or sitting on the heat. I remember worrying about Lidge early in the Cards series. It seemed like people were picking up on this.
Lidge is still a decent closer, but not elite anymore. That said he could be the top closer for most teams out there.
It is just a month into the season. I do agree that he could use a couple of weeks at round rock to regain his confidence.
established veterans don't get sent to the minors to work out their problems, unless its injury related
I was listening to the ninth on the radio...were those boos I heard? **** those assholes if they were. Hopefully someone sitting close to one of those jerkdicks decided to, at the very least, throw their beers on those non-fans. That's right, I said it. Non-fans.
Yeah, I heard some boos on TV as well. Lidge is obviously struggling but the guy has been rock solid for the past few years. Without him we're not even in the playoffs the last two years. "Fans" turning on him this quickly is sad.
Lidge needs to toughen up, he needs to buzz a few people off the dish, to make them uncomfortable at the plate. If he is gonna be wild, be wild inside. DD
