The blown save statistic is the most utterly meaningless one in all of sports, even moreso than pitcher won/loss record. I'm going to take you through one of Lidge's "blown saves" earlier this season. In a game at home vs. Cincinnati in late May, Lidge came in in the 6th inning, inheriting a bases loaded, nobody out situation against the heart of a talented Reds lineup. i.e., none of the guys on base reached against him. In that game, Lidge struck out the first guy, induced a sacrifice fly from Adam Dunn for the second out, and then got a weak popout for the third out. To get out of that inning with only one run allowed was an absolutely fabulous job of pitching. Yet, even though he had no runs charged to him (ERA of 0.00), since he was the pitcher who gave up a simple fly ball from the powerful Adam Dunn... that's a blown save in the record book. Are you trying to say he should be held accountable for that? Are you trying to say he pitched anything other than fabulous in that game? Because that's exactly what you're doing when you discuss "blown saves" as a legitimate statistic, and it's absolutely absurd. LAST season. Look at his ERA and WHIP this season, particularly since April 20. For the last freaking time, can someone actually provide analysis instead of random psychological BS without substance? Talk to me about that pitch Saturday night. He didn't miss his location. His slider had as much bite as it ever does. The pitch was his best pitch, and it wasn't a mistake in the slightest. It simply got hit. It happens sometimes. There's absolutely nothing to do with that scenario that had anything to do with whatever special "mentality" you guys think it takes to pitch in the ninth inning. Whether he's throwing in the sixth, seventh, eighth, or ninth inning, can you explain to me what he could've or should've done differently? It has nothing to do with closing vs. middle relieving. It has nothing to do with any kind of idiotic psychological babble. Watch the freaking replay. It was an outstanding pitch, and it simply got hit. It's a game, and on occasion, bizarre things like that happen. Get used to it. If it's been going on for some time, look at his numbers since April 20. And if it's not just Saturday night, then eliminate that from the picture and look at his numbers since regaining the closer spot after the All-Star break. He's one of the best closers in the game. Unfortunately, the Houston baseball universe is filled with casual fans who don't actually understand the game and look for any excuse to whine and spout off the typical ESPN psycho analysis crap.
you must be kidding, the analysis is that he blew the save. the analysis is that pitch got hit, your analysis that it was a good pitch is completely subjective considering the pitch was turned around. the pyscho analysis isn't bs considering he surrendered another homer to the next batter? was that a "good pitch" lol every time this guy blows a save someone is saying "he threw his best pitch", well maybe if that's his best pitch he isn't good enough to be a big time closer
it was a good pitch, I saw it, that's my statistical analysis, could you be anymore arrogant about your superior baseball knowledge?
I haven't seen Cat be wrong on anything yet. Not even the Jennings trade. I absolutely agree Lidge has a mental block, which makes it more frustrating to me that they didn't trade him. It would have been the best thing for both the Astros and Lidge.
you can't win that argument the way it is set up. I saw the pitch it was the right pitch, it was his best pitch. what is there to respond. I could easily say he should have thrown it in the dirt and the batter would have swung and missed. that would be just about as ridiculous
The pitch that Beltran golfed for a homerun off of his shoe strings back in the playoffs the year that he was with the Astros, was that the pitcher's fault? He couldn't have put it much further down without putting it into the dirt. You couldn't call it a bad pitch in that situation by any stretch. A "good pitch" may be subjective, but if the pitcher hits his spots, has movement, and doesn't leave it straight down the middle, what more do you want? Maybe Lidge should have used his Jedi Mind Trick and ordered the batter not to swing. After rereading though, I think I may be misunderstanding your point.
if the pitcher hits his spots, and the pitches keep getting turned around, then at some point its not a good pitch. again, when lidge was in his earlier funk, weren't the astros claiming he was throwing his best pitches?
Ok. If you are saying in cases of consistent patterns, then yes I agree. Big league players do catch up to great pitches, that I do not think you can really hold against the pitchers. But if a pitcher is repeatedly getting pounded on "great" pitches, then yes, there is an issue.
And if a pitcher only gets pounded in the 9th as opposed to when he is in middle relief, perhaps it is not crazy to think he has a mental block. A lot of the game is mental. Ask Rick Ankiel.
there are other issues with lidge. the astros claim lidge is an elite closer. therefore he isn't tradeable. at what point, whether it is judged by blown saves, or whatever, is he not an elite closer and not worth hanging on to?
Hey, I'm haven't been here for seven years to insult people. YOU, on the other hand, have some kind of complex that I assume is due to you're having a blog & like, 10 billion posts. YOU are the one that said that I was "talking out of my ass after a loss." I looked it up, alls I did was post the stats from his one inning of work Saturday night, & said, "HAHAHA." Sue me. That's an insult. You sarcastically referred to somebody else as a "genius," for disagreeing with your OPINION, so I suggest you chickity check yo'self. You'd have to be a FOOL to think that Lidge hasn't been sketchy at best, ever since he served it up to Poo-holes all those years ago. I respect your opinion, so respect mine. You obviously have many problems with people who don't prefer him as OUR closer. Your opinion is no better than anyone else's. I might add root for your boy just like everyone else, but he repeatedly is FAILING at saving BIG games. That's all. If he turns it around, I'll eat my hat. I'm a fan, & I root. It's a God-given human right to critique sports figures. Afterall, fan is short for "fanatic." You however, are taking it to extremes. It seems to me that you're taking other peoples opinions & comments, & shoving them aggressively back into their face on an Internet message board. So I suggest that you relax. Life goes on. We don't ALL have to bow down to your eternal word just because you know how to compare Lidge to a pitcher for the frikkin' Yankees that blew a game 7, or whatever. We get it.
Repeatedly failing? Evidence, please. Also, what is your criteria for a BIG game? Let's set this so there can be no further debate when things like this happen. You wrote close to 10 paragraphs, and still didn't explain yourself.
What in the world are you talking about? Most of Lidge's mistakes aren't from throwing his best pitch. Who in the world said that? For example, the Pujols shot... that was a hanging slider belt high with little movement. That's exactly the way most of Lidge's big shots have come. Hanging sliders without significant bite, missing location on fastballs... etc. Who in the world said those were "his best pitches?" For the most part, they were terrible, and Lidge is the first one to admit that. Saturday wasn't; that's why it's different.
What happened in all his other eight save opportunities this last month, then? Why wasn't he pounded? Only idiots judge baseball by "results" in the short term. There are too many strange things that happen. Explain to me, right here and now, what part of the Braun home run was "mental." If he has a mental block, then you seem to believe he might be prone to making mistakes. What kind of mistake did he make? It was out of the zone. Outstanding movement. Location exactly where he wanted it. Exactly where Ausmus called for it. What kind of mistake was there? You're making incredibly topical analysis on the level of "the sky is blue." Let's talk about that pitch, that scenario. What could've and should've been done differently?
yes, all of lidge's problems are short term, that's why he's never been demoted this season, oh wait, we're just idiots
Look, I don't want to be arrogant. I want to have a level-headed discussion and analysis of this weekend's series, and in particular, that pitch. But people such as myself and Nick have been asking to discuss it for pages, and all we're getting is response after response of abstract psychoanalysis that does nothing to answer the initial question. What should he or could he have done in that situation differently? Here's the scenario, for anyone who doesn't remember. Two on, two out. Top 9. 1-1 count to Braun, arguably the best hitter to enter the game since Pujols. Prince Fielder is on deck. He took strike one on a fastball. If you're Brad Lidge, what do you do? Now, what did Lidge do? He was thinking having already gone fastball, he'd mix things up with a slider. He wanted to throw his best slider with elite movement; he did so. Since he wasn't behind in the count, he wanted to throw it well out of the zone so he'd chase. He did so. Braun hit an excellent pitch and it left the yard. Do you disagree with the approach? Did a "mental block" impede him in some way from throwing a better pitch? And if it did, in what way could the pitch (or the decision of location or fastball vs. slider, etc.) have been improved? I really want to know, because I don't see any. imo, he did the best he could possibly do, and Braun's an incredible hitter who hit one of the game's most difficult pitches. Congrats to him. But this is a board for discussion, and if you guys see something I'm missing in terms of the analysis of this pitch (don't go abstract on me), please let me know... I'd love to listen. I definitely can be wrong, and so can Brad; it's just, can we actually discuss the subject?
