The Philadelphia Report: Phillies are More Than Open for Closer Suggestions

Brad Lidge continues to struggle on the mound for the Phillies, and that doesn’t make for a good situation as the Phillies make their inevitable entrance into the postseason this year.

But to be honest this is par for the course for Lidge.

Historically, the past four years to be exact, Lidge has been a big up-and-down guy, which is probably one of several reasons why Houston traded him away.

As a member of the Houston Astros, 2005 and 2006 are the only back-to-back solid years in Lidge’s career. In that time, Lidge garnered 74 saves out of 84 opportunities while throwing 207 stikeouts and posting a 1.28 WHIP average despite a 5-9 overall record.

But 2006 started what has now become the wild roller-coaster ride Lidge has had to deal with.

In 2006 Lidge was 32 of 38 in saves.

In 2007 he went 19 for 27.

Last year of course, was the highlight of his career going 41 of 41, while this year seems to be the low point of his career posting a dismal 28 of 38.

It is clear that Lidge just doesn’t have it, despite the fact he truly DOES have the right stuff. His slider is one of the meanest a batter can face.

His command over his fastball, however, has been less than desirable. Without that type of command, a closer just can’t be effective.

But September is the gateway to the postseason, and the Phillies have to act now if they are to put this fire under control and have a legitimate shot at a repeat.

They have some options they can entertain, but when they do, it will be crucial.

Jamie Moyer was put on the shelf earlier this year, and although he hasn’t liked it, it seems fitting for the old sage; one option the Phils can explore.

Moyer has a great repertoire of off-speed pitches that work effectively against most hitters but he doesn’t have a lot of speed. Moyer could make a good closer fit against specific teams but not an overall replacement.

Brett Myers is the other main option I like; one that the Phillies could go to in the coming weeks. His recovery has been going well and it doesn’t seem like he has lost a step.

Myers has been itching to get back in some role for the club and with his slider ability, his sneaky curve, and a powerful and dominant fastball, Myers could be the patch the Phillies need.

This is not to say Lidge is done, but he has been battling some nagging injuries this year, which has obviously hurt his confidence level, so taking a breather for a while may work in his favor.

Lidge will not entirely get the axe, but if he continues to struggle, the Phillies will simply have to go with other options if they are to keep the dream of a repeat alive.

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Brad Lidge Out as Philadelphia Phillies Closer

It was only a matter of time before the Philadelphia Phillies relieved Brad Lidge of his closing duties. Yesterday, it became official. Lidge is out as Phillies closer.

Minutes before last night’s game against the Washington Nationals, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel announced that Lidge will only pitch in “low-stress” situations, and Ryan Madson and Brett Myers will share the closer duties until Lidge becomes “right.”

There’s nothing like going into the postseason having no clue who is going to pitch the ninth inning.

The Phillies better figure out who is going to pitch the ninth inning in the playoffs real quick. They have the starting rotation and offense, but if they don’t have the guy to nail the hammer down in the ninth—it could be one and done for the Phillies in the playoffs.

I wrote yesterday that my guess was Myers would end up closing. If I was Manuel, I would have Myers close and keep Madson in the eighth inning. Madson has been great in the eighth inning, and I wouldn’t want to screw around with that.

Will Lidge close again for the Phillies?

“He could close,” Manuel told MLB.com. “He hasn’t lost nothing. I’m telling you right now, he definitely can still close. I see where he could be our everyday closer again. Yeah, of course.”

Really Charlie? “He hasn’t lost nothing?”

I guess Charlie Manuel never heard of the word confidence. Once that goes, you have no shot.

Remember, you can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter at www.twitter.com/theghostofmlg.

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Time for Phillies to Carefully Step off the Lidge

Manager Charlie Manuel made a tough decision in last night’s 5-3 Phillies win over the Washington Nationals: He pulled closer Brad Lidge out of the game before the game’s conclusion.

It was the right move, apparently. Normal set-up man Ryan Madson collect two 0-2 counts with 95-MPH fastballs, then got the Nationals to commit to two changeups for strike out and ground out, respectfully.

Manuel and Lidge both have said that Lidge is still the closer. But if you listen to Manuel closely, the door was open for another option.

In part of a quote in today’s Philly.com story by Andy Martino, here is what Manuel said about loyalty and his closer:

“… I’ve been very loyal to him, and I’ve stuck with him. I did everything I think possible to get him going. There is no way I would ever lie to him, because I don’t do that, and I don’t have a history of doing that. 

 

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Lidge Tossing His Way Out of The Ninth

It looks like Charlie Manuel got the hint.

Brad Lidge is not helping the Phillies.

After nearly blowing a save last night against a horrid Washington Nationals team, Manuel pulled Lidge in favor of Ryan Madson.

It’s about time.

Lidge came into the game as an owner of ten blown saves, an ERA of 7.11, and a WHIP of 1.816.  And he looked to make it eleven blown saves on the season after giving up a single, a walk, and hitting a batter to load the bases.

Thankfully, Manuel put aside feelings and made a baseball move, much like he did with fan favorite Jamie Moyer a month earlier.  He pulled him for Ryan Madson, who recorded the last two outs for the save.

In the past, it was believed that Manuel had stuck with Lidge through the wild pitches, base hits, blown saves and the walks to keep his confidence up. As was seen in Houston, Lidge can often times lack the ability to forget, a trait needed to be an effective pitcher, especially in the closer role.

And with Brett Myers back in the bullpen (where he had hoped to be at the beginning of the 2008 season) and throwing relatively well, it looks as if Lidge may have pitched his way out of the ninth inning and into middle relief.

Will Brad Lidge be summoned in the ninth the next time the Phillies have a save situation? I’d guess yes, but should he repeat his Tuesday night performance that won’t be the case the next time.

It’ll be Brett Myers making the run from the bullpen. 

 

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Eagles vs. Phillies: Whose Town Is It Anyway?

These days, the fiercest rivalry in the city of Philadelphia doesn’t involve teams from New York or the city’s Big Five.

 

Instead, it is an unspoken but painfully obvious competition between the Phillies and the Eagles, who are battling it out for the No. 1 spot in the hearts and minds of Philadelphia’s fans.

 

This was not even a valid debate until recently. The city had long bled Eagles green and the other teams were relegated to second banana and needed a deep playoff run to get anywhere near the attention the Eagles received on a year-round basis.

 

But the Phillies were finally successful in breaking the city’s 25-year championship drought last season, endearing themselves to a generation of fans and creating a crisis situation for the Eagles, no longer secure on their perch at the top of the city’s sports landscape.

 

Jeffrey Lurie, Joe Banner, and company had to be irritated to no end when the upstart Phillies broke through last year after their “gold standard” football franchise has been on the doorstep of a title for a decade but has yet to seal the deal.

 

You can be sure they hated the idea of their stadium being used for the Phillies parade but were merely afraid of a horrible PR backlash if they didn’t allow it.

 

Both parties will deny any rivalry and will tell you that they want all teams in the city to succeed. But you shouldn’t believe that for a minute.

 

Professional sports wouldn’t exist if they didn’t create big money for the parties involved. Not only do you vie for supremacy against teams in your own league, but you are also in direct competition with the other franchises in your market to carve out the biggest piece of the revenue pie as possible.

 

With the Phillies now selling out nearly every game, it stands to reason that at least some of their new cash influx has come at the expense of the Eagles.

 

The teams are also perceived very differently in the media, with the Eagles seen as cold and calculating, doing anything they can to try and get as far under the salary cap as possible.

 

The decision to let Brian Dawkins leave via free agency this offseason did not help matters. And Joe Banner, regarded as some sort of Dick Cheney-like caricature, is derided for being out of touch with the fans.

 

Many fans think the Eagles should be more like the Phillies, whose management team is considered wise in baseball matters and receptive to the fans. They also seem to keep the right players, bring in ones that fit well, and don’t break the bank in the process.

 

This was not the consensus a few years ago, but winning has gone a long way toward creating the image.

 

Based on this, it should really come as no surprise that the Eagles are making personnel decisions in reaction to what the Phillies do.

 

After the Phils traded for Cy Young winner Cliff Lee and he paid immediate dividends, the Eagles shifted the focus back onto themselves by signing Michael Vick.

 

Even though the Vick signing seemingly went completely against the image the Eagles have long tried to create, it ensured increased local and national attention and will make them look brilliant if it pans out.

 

The Eagles realize their window of opportunity has become much smaller. They are employing desperate measures in an attempt to prove they are the city’s top sports franchise.

 

The Phillies and Eagles are both very successful and healthy, and they can continue to coexist in this fashion for a long time. But they can never be equal in the eyes of the fans. One will always be held in higher esteem than the other at a given time.

 

At this moment, the Phillies have to be considered the leaders in the clubhouse. But the Eagles are no doubt keenly aware that winning will cure any and all issues.

 

It may very well take a Super Bowl parade down Broad Street to put them firmly back on top.

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Phillies-Nationals: Winning Plays Spark Phils Victory

The Philadelphia Phillies were in desperate need of a win and they got it, 5-3, over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night in the nation’s capital.

Sure, five solo home runs, two by Raul Ibanez, helped the Philadelphia cause, but a key play in the game happened in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Pitcher John Lannon’s two-out single looked to increase the Nationals’ early 2-0 lead to three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. But Phillies centerfielder Shane Victorino fielded the ball, threw home and tossed out Wil Nieves at the plate.

Sure enough, the play sparked the Phillies to a win over Washington and it may just lead to another Phils’ winning streak.

In the top of the fifth, Ibanez hit his first of two home runs to cut the lead to 2-1. The Phillies took the lead in the top of the seventh inning with home runs by Jayson Werth, Ibanez and Carlos Ruiz, for a 4-2 lead.

A solo home run by Willie Harris pulled the Nationals to one run in the bottom of the seventh. That blast ended starter Pedro Martinez’s night with the Phils holding to a one-run lead.

Brett Myers pitched a scoreless eighth. During the commercial break and the Phillies leading 5-3, I texted my buddy: “DON’T BRING IN BRAD LIDGE.”

I don’t usually shout and I have been a very recent Brad Lidge supporter.

“I thought the same thing,” my friend texted back.

Sure enough, Lidge loaded the bases with one out after allowing a single, a wild pitch,  hitting a batter and a walk.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel made the move of the season, when he took Lidge out in favor of Ryan Madson.

Madson, who blew a few saves himself earlier in the season, did something important: he threw strikes.

He collected a strikeout and got a ground out to end the game and the Phillies’ losing streak was over.

It all started, I contend, with Victorino keeping the deficit to one run in the bottom of the fourth inning when he threw Nieves out at home.

I tell you, I could feel it in my bones.

If the Phillies got swept or lost two of three to the Nationals, the Mets would eat them up at home and that would spell trouble for Philly’s standing in the NL East.

If the Phillies sweep the Nats or take two of three, they will take care of the Mets and win the series at home.

Things would look a lot better for Manuel’s boys then.

Tuesday night was the first step.

Brad Lidge’s confidence as the team’s closer may have been shot on Tuesday night, but getting the win was more important than coddling any one player’s feelings.

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Fantasy Baseball Short: Yahoo Owners Beware!

In the world of Fantasy baseball, there are just as many predictable aspects of player movements and player performance, as there are mind-boggling moves on the part of the manager.

Why do I mention this?

Well, I recently came across a startling message posted on the Yahoo message board within the front page that read something like this: Pedro Martinez has been dropped by 1,922 teams.

Really? This is how managers are handling the emergence of Martinez as he makes his way back into baseball?

I suppose, a large portion of this can be attributed to managers looking to finding a good spot pitcher to help bolster their playoff spot.

I can imagine that maybe the sudden slump of the Phillies in general perhaps had something to do with it, but 1,922 teams?

C’mon people! This is September first of all, and if you think there is anyone left on the wire that is going to be a better option in the playoff realm—one that will last game in and game out that is—you are kidding yourself.

In case everyone is NOT paying attention, Pedro is 3-0 out of five contests, with a 1.09 WHIP while sporting 23 strikes and only 3 walks; correct me if I am wrong, but that is pretty damn good for someone who has been out of the mix for a year or so.

Tonight he will get the Nationals—all apologies for those who get this late—then it is on to the Mets again, the Braves and the Brew crew; he will be fine trust me!

Pedro is a really good pitcher, and he will undoubtedly only get better like a fine wine that has been aired just right.

But wait, what about those of you who haven’t yet jumped on the Martinez train? Well, now is your chance apparently, and I would make the most of his sudden drop in ownership.

Just like the old Flavor-Flav/Public Enemy song “Don’t Believe the Hype” do not follow the masses here; I’m tellin’ ya, he is going to be a cash-cow for those of you looking for a solid LONGTERM addition to your roster as you try to make a push for a playoff spot; this guy is Mr. Clutch.

Don’t worry about the Phillies sudden slump either as this is pretty much par-for-the-course, and as hard as it is, don’t worry about the closing position cause the Phillies are not going to wait forever for Lidge to get his mojo back—and if you look at him historically he more than likely will not—so I say go for it!

The moral of the story here is simply this: If you are not in the top three in your league right now, chances are a good QUALITY long-term pitcher will definitely help your team, NOT your spot. But you spot doesn’t matter if you have the right players in the right situations against the right competitors—especially in the playoffs!

 

Around the League

Ryan Madson-RP-Phi has been slumping as of late and it could be due to his Oblique strain so stay clear of the boy, Mike Cameron–OF-Mil is slated for a Sept. 11th return from a mild hamstring injury while Josh Hamilton-OF-Tex is day to day with a pinched nerve.

Houston Street-RP-Hou is still battling biceps tendinitis, and although he is slated for the 11th or 12, I would use sever caution with him since the Astros are not really disclosing too much on his current status, and finally, Seth Smith-OF-Col has had a pretty good introduction to MLB as a Rockie, but the problem here is that, Colorado will still have to decide AND make room for Gonzalez and/or Fowler relegating Smith useless in about two or three days.

Stay away from the hype, but for those of you in keeper leagues he is definitely an intriguing player to consider.

As always, good luck to everyone as we all approach the end of the season!

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Phillies’ J.A. Happ Is the NL’s Best Rookie—Sometimes the Truth Is Boring

After a holiday weekend in Los Angeles (more on that later today or tomorrow), I’m back home in San Francisco and trying to get caught up on the baseball I missed.

That means utilizing the mainstream media for its aspects that are still quite excellent.

Both ESPN and FOX Sports, to a lesser extent, provide extensive access to the Major League Baseball annals. If you want to know how many pitches a certain hitter worked off the pitcher in a particular at-bat or some other minutiae of the game, you can find it. The availability of game logs and other such statistical records cannot be understated when acknowledging the online hack’s most well-worn tools.

It’s important we keep that in mind. Especially those of us who have an affection for taking a sharp blade to those same outlets’ analysis…like me.

In my camp’s defense, their so-called experts make it almost impossible to avoid taking up the scalpel.

For instance, I’m on the record as saying Ken Rosenthal has unsurpassed inside information. I’m also on the record many times criticizing his analysis. Ol’ Kenny’s latest pronouncement that Chris Coghlan should win the National League Rookie of the Year has provoked yet another entry in that log.

My beef with Rosenthal’s interpretations is they always seem to be as much for an ulterior motive as they do the soundness of baseball logic. Whether it be to collaterally coax good dope from MLB insiders or to make a stir in the Big League adoring masses (including his chattering head colleagues on the boob tube) or something else NOT rooted in good sense.

The Coghlan bit seems more for the sake of going against the grain and creating a pseudo-stink than anything else. It seems Ken just wants to buck the growing trend toward the Philadelphia Phillies’ young left-hander J.A. Happ.

That would be wonderful, except the general consensus isn’t driven by mob mentality or group-think. It’s driven by old-fashioned baseball reason.

See, the FOX Sports guy got it mostly right.

If you take a gander at the competitors for the NL RoY, the Florida Marlins outfielder is probably a grand selection for the best newbie patrolling the field and swinging a stick. Likewise, the southpaw from Philly is absolutely the most sparkling green gem on the mound.

As Ken Rosenthal says, it really does come down to which outstanding first tour of Major League duty is more impressive: an everyday guy or an every-fifth-day one.

Ordinarily, I’d be right there with Ken arguing for the everyday player. It’s the reason almost every Most Valuable Player from the Show’s timeline received the award for swinging a bat and flashing leather.

But consider that a rookie pitcher must throw to every hitter in the lineup.

Seems like a stupid thing to point out, doesn’t it?

And an even dumber dividing line since a rookie splinter doesn’t get any allowances from the bump. It’s not like the opposition trots out a different pitcher to ease the transition. It’s not like Coghlan got to face AAAA hurlers while his mates were staring at Johan Santana.

What makes the observation significant is that a hitter can take the collar against all the quality starters and still post very good numbers for the year.

Consider that 60 percent of most rotations are wobbly at best. Once you’ve squared off with the ace and No. 2, most rotations drop off a freakin’ cliff.

Into an abyss.

Here’s the rub—that the precipitous decline exists is the key. Not whether Coghlan actually accumulated his numbers against the dregs of the slab.

Baseball is a game of confidence built from positive performance. Talent can only take you so far; that is baseball’s curse. The flip side is firm belief in your ability can often allow you to crash through your reputed ceiling—ask David Eckstein or Dustin Pedroia or Scott Brosius or any other unlikely diamond hero.

Additionally, keep in mind the issue is which rookie’s performance was more impressive.

While both Chris Coghlan and J.A. Happ had superlative years plying their respective trades for the first time, Coghlan did it with the knowledge that he didn’t necessarily have to beat the best. When he stepped into the batter’s box against MLB’s most ferocious arms, it was an opportunity because failure was an option.

There would always be a sunnier day tomorrow, maybe even later in the game against a rickety bullpen.

Contrarily, Happ’s trials against the best hitters in baseball were burdens and unmitigated in any way.

Consistent failure against baseball’s best hitters will doom a pitcher because every team has them—even squads like the San Diego Padres and my San Francisco Giants. A walk or hit in the middle of the order ratchets up the level of difficulty exponentially for a youngster on the bump. String a couple minor miscues into one inning, and you’ve got a full-blown crisis on your hands.

With only 25 or so starts from which to cobble together a body of work, the young pitcher faces a much more intimidating challenge to his confidence throughout the season. The smaller sampling size reduces the margin for error, compounding a more daunting assault on an inexperienced psyche.

This is the knowledge a rookie pitcher takes to the hill with him each time out.

Thusly, Happ’s performance to date—10-4, 149.2 IP, 2.77 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 104 K, 52 BB, 3 CG, and 2 SHO—is more impressive than Coghlan’s equivalent body of work—103 G, 397 AB, a .310 average, an .830 OPS, 65 R, 20 2B, 4 3B, 9 HR, 40 RBI, 6 SB, and 68 K. Both represent triumphs in the teeth of obvious and extreme challenges, but the former came under a more complete and constant strain.

Therefore, the comparison need not even include mention that the lefty helped anchor a rotation suffering from the metaphoric absence of its ace, Cole Hamels.

Or that the Phils are the defending champs and threatening to repeat despite absorbing every team’s most spirited charge.

Or that Happ has been playing with the big boys all year and enduring baptism by fire while Coghlan got his feet under him in the Minor Leagues before getting the call.

Both athletes have sincere competitors that could overtake either player for his spot atop the respective talent heaps.

Similarly, if the young pitcher’s latest injury bugaboo doesn’t clear up quickly, the Fish might etch another indelible testament to their talent assessment acumen into history. If the Phillie misses more than a start or two, Chris Coghlan would certainly begin to edge ahead.

But as the matter stands with about a month of games yet to be played, J.A. Happ’s fantastic run through a more brutal gauntlet means the NL Rookie of the Year is his to lose.

**www.pva.org**

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Phillies’ Skipper Not Always a Good-Time Charlie

After being swept in a four-game series in Houston against the Astros, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel was searching for answers.

He suggested in a Philadelphia Inquirer story by Andy Martino, that they better put the pedal to the metal if they want to win their third straight National League East baseball title.

“I hear some of them talking, saying we’re a team that plays better when we have to,” he said. “[Expletive] the last couple years. What the hell? That don’t mean [expletive]. Last year is dead and gone. We play for today.”

Brad Lidge’s 10th blown save put Phillies fan in a funk on Saturday, but the offense has shown some life, but not nearly enough.

The Phillies scored six runs in the final two games of the Astros series. Five of them came on solo home runs.

As Oakland Raiders National Football League owner Al Davis once said: “Just win, baby.”

Easier said than done.

But you want the right attitude? Look no further than Jamie Moyer.

Moyer got the start Monday, getting short notice when J.A. Happ went down with an injury.

Moyer gave the Phillies six good innings and allowed two runs on three hits and struck out four batters. The Phillies were ahead 3-2 when he left Monday’s game.

Brett Myers has the right attitude, too. He just wants to fill in where needed.

It is not to say that the rest of the team has the wrong attitude. But they have lost their confidence, hitting prowess or something.

Perhaps a trip to Washington will cure what ails them.

Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez all hit home runs in yesterday’s game. The fact that they were all solo shots didn’t help.

A six-game lead with 27 games left. Is it enough?

It should be.

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Funkadelphia: When Are the Phillies Going to Snap Out of It?

The Philadelphia Phillies have lost three straight games, all against the Houston Astros. In each of their last six games, they have not scored more than four runs.

That being said, their NL East lead is 6.5 games over the Florida Marlin, who lost to the Nationals on Sunday.

Take a breath. It will be OK.

The upsetting thing, besides the hot button Brad Lidge, is the team’s lack of offense.

Ryan Howard hasn’t hit a home run in a week but is hitting a healthy .273. Raul Ibanez got two hits in yesterday’s game. Shane Victorino is day-to-day, but Jayson Werth is healthy.

The Phillies finish up today with J.A. Happ, 10-4, facing Brian Moehler, 8-10. The Phillies travel up to Washington and then go home for a weekend series against the Mets.

The Washington series could be a “trap” series, with the Phillies losing all three games or two of three. However, the team is too good for that.

I believe the funk will end in Washington.

Looking further into the month, the Phillies have games against both the Braves and Marlins. It is time to put the pedal to the metal.

I think Howard has cooled down. He just needs another two-homer game to get on track.

A commentator on radio thought that both Lidge, with his knee, and Ibanez, with his groin, are not 100 percent.

Give Brett Myers a chance to close a game or two, but you have to pitch Lidge during the stretch. The Phillies made too much of an investment in Lidge, as he is on the second season of a three-year deal.

You knew that Lidge could not be perfect again. His 10 blown saves leads the league. As I texted my buddy after Saturday’s 5-4 loss: “BS, two runs, loss. Arf.”

If they were playing the Cardinals and the Dodgers, they might be in trouble.

You’ve got to get this last one in Houston, feast on the Nationals, and put the Braves and Marlins further away.

Do I feel in my gut that it is gonna to happen anytime soon? No. But this team has proved me wrong before.

Chase Utley and Werth will have to lead the charge. Pedro Feliz and Carlos Ruiz can have clutch individual games.

The offensive funk may last another game or two.

Funkadelphia is normal Negadelphia, and it depends on who does worse—the Phillies or the Eagles—for where the Funkmobile will park.

How bad is it? Stinking Chris Coste, now on the Astros, is dissing the team. Come on. Snap out of it.

An aside: Did you notice in Saturday’s game that three ex-Phillies came to the plate in consecutive at-bats? Jason Michaels, Coste, and Michael Bourn.

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