Too bad Biggio and Berkman don't have the type of personality to just lose it and go ape **** in the lockerroom smashing things and telling the team it might be their teammates getting smashed if they don't get their head in the game. Sometimes I wish the Astros had more attitude. As much as everyone whips up on Ozzie Guillen, he has instilled his bad attitude into the White Sox.
who's gonna close better for us than lidge? how many closers around the league right now are better than lidge? you guys were spoiled last year by lidge. but even when he's struggling, he's a good closer. he still has 19 saves in 22 opportunities this year, despite all the problems we're talking about. by comparison, Wagner has 15 in 19 opportunities for the Mets...isringhausen has 24 in 29 opportunities...rivera has 16 in 18 opportunities. even the greats aren't perfect. if that's what you're expecting, you're expecting too much. and if your thought is that someone else on this staff could be more effective, who is it???
Maybe it isn't Lidge who hasn't gotten over the Pujols homerun, but the fans. Combine the Pujols homerun with the Posednik homerun in the WS and you have a no confidence vote from the fans on Lidge. Last night was a bitter reminder of the past.
it's the conveneint forgetting of the fact he's closed out 19 of his 22 opportunities that is most awesome. and by awesome, i mean totally sweet.
yeah, but the ERA's of many closers in MLB are much better then Lidge. 1. Jason Isringhausen 4.06 ERA 24 SV 2. Papelbon .24 ERA 23 SV 3. Jenks 2.62 ERA 22 SV 4. Ryan .47 ERA 21 SV 5. Turnbow 3.62 ERA 21 SV 6. Gordon 2.03 ERA 20 SV 7. C Ray 3.38 ERA 19 SV 8. Hoffman 1.29 ERA 18 SV 9. F Rodriguez 3.00 ERA 18 SV 10. H Street 3.74 ERA 18 SV 11. M Rivera 2.01 ERA 16 SV 12. B Fuentes 2.35 ERA 15 SV 13. A Otsuka 2.38 ERA 15 SV 14. B Wagner 2.45 ERA 15 SV 15. J Borowski 3.45 ERA 13 SV 16. C Cordero 3.34 ERA 13 SV 17. M Gonzalez 3.03 ERA 12 SV 18. J Nathan 1.97 ERA 12 SV 19. J Putz 2.50 ERA 12 SV 20. B Wickman 3.32 ERA 10 SV Todd Jones has a 6.60 ERA and has converted 20 out of 23 save opportunities. Is that good?
it's not ideal. it's not what i'd hope for. it certainly doesn't seem to be hurting the Detroit Tigers, though. closers are called in, during most situations, in one inning or less to nail down a win. that's it. if the team wins, they're on the mound last and they bump hands with everyone on the team and hear, "good job, brad." that's it. if they nail down the save, they've done their job....the team wins. hooray. lidge has been called on 22 times to do that. 19 times his team has come away the winner of that game with him on the mound at the end. now there are some exceptions where a closer comes in during a tie game. but for the most part, it's to convert on a save situation. era is great. and it's certainly meaningful. but it can be skewed considering these guys come in for an inning at a time. one seriously bad inning, and you're playing catch up on ERA the rest of the season. currently, he has a grand total of 35 IP all season. my point is, as long as he converts the save...as long as the team wins the game...i don't care if he gives up a run. i care in the moment. but ultimately, i don't care. i want the win. if you think you can just throw nieve in to those situations...or someone else for that matter...and have the respond BETTER than lidge...good luck.
You hit the nail square on the head, it's the so called fans that won't let it go. Lidge is a professional. He lets go fo that crap. He would be on suicide watch if he let things like that get to him.
Dennis Eckersly got over the Kirk Gibson homerun. Lidge's problem is control and/or he is tipping his pitches. It was the walk before the homerun that once again killed him. Just like he walked Edmunds before Pujols went yard.
I wonder if he's getting under the ball at his release point or if his arm slot is wandering? Another thing that happens with guys a lot is they "fall off the mound" to their left a lot, and that poor follow-through affects control. I hope he figures it out; if it is a mechanics issue then injuries are often not too far behind.
