The Season Doesn’t Start in Philly Until They Begin to Doubt

It’s that time again: The time when the end of the season is approaching and everyone starts making their end-season predictions.

The Phillies have been supported by a handful of experts for the last couple of years. The remainder however, have been contrary.

Hindsight is 20/20 they say, and it is. But lets take a peek back to 2008, the magical year for the Philadelphia Phillies and their fans.

Within that year, did anyone think that in a playoff where the National League favorites where the mighty Chicago Cubs, with a season record of 97 – 64, would be dismantled by the swagger-filled Los Angeles Dodgers, the Philadelphia Phillies would come out of the NL?

Furthermore, defeat a young team in the World Series, who handily dominated the AL East which previously was under the monopoly of the Yankees and Redsox?

Those scenarios, at the time, seemed unlikely.

This year, there is new fun.

Why should Philadelphia fans believe that their team can do it again?

5 reasons…

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Brett Myers in the Middle of a Phillies Postseason Push Yet Again

For a team to do what the Phillies have done in the last three seasons, it goes without saying that the list of players to come up big along the way is going to be, as Goose would say, long, but distinguished.

Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Jimmy Rollins might headline the list, but it’s safe to say there are plenty of other role-players (Victorino, Ruiz), relievers, (Madson, Lidge), and even bench players (Matt Stairs), who won’t be paying for a drink in Philadelphia anytime soon.

And despite being in the middle of the drama as much, if not more than any other Phillie over the last three seasons, the man who takes the mound at Citizens Bank Park tonight seems on his way to becoming a mere footnote in Phillies history, and undeservedly so.

And no, I’m not talking about Joe Blanton, the man with the 5.46 era. I’m talking about the Astros’ new ace, Brett Myers.

Ask the average fan about Brett Myers and they will most likely bring up either his 2006 arrest for assault, or his now hilarious verbal beatdown of Inquirer writer Sam Carchidi after a loss in 2007. What people don’t remember is that he won more than 70 games for the Phillies, started twice on Opening Day, and was a clubhouse leader for the better part of a decade.

And then there’s this: The Phillies would have almost certainly missed the playoffs in ’07, and possibly in ’08, if Myers doesn’t put the team on his back. Don’t believe me? Check out these beauties…

2007: With the bullpen decimated by injuries, Myers gives up his spot in the starting rotation to take over the closer role, something he’s never done before by the way, and records 21 saves with an ERA under three, as the Phillies win the division on the final day of the year. 

2008: After a slow start that includes a demotion to Triple-A in July, Myers comes back to the majors with the team trailing in both the Division and Wild Card races to finish the second half with a 7-2 record and a 1.80 ERA. In the playoffs Myers wins two games, and just for good measure drives in three runs during Game 1 of the NLCS.

Not too shabby for a guy whose biggest claim to fame is calling Carchidi a “retard”, is it?

It’s impossible to say how the last three seasons play out without Myers in the fold. Maybe the Mets were destined to collapse in ’07, and maybe the Phillies still would have gotten hot at the right time in 2008.

What I do know is that the final out of the 2008 World Series is far and away my favorite memory as a sports fan. If I had to pick a second, it’s probably Brett Myers striking out Wily Mo Pena to clinch the division in 2007.

Maybe those two moments aren’t related, but something tells me they are. And next time I see Brett Myers, you better believe the drinks will be on me.

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Years Later, Philadelphia Phillies Finally Benefit From Ed Wade

The Houston Astros will limp into Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia tonight, 54-69 and with virtually no chance to make the playoffs. 

Since the team’s World Series appearance in 2005, there’s been a lot of limping finishes in Houston.

While the Philadelphia Phillies were in the process of reaching their first post-season in 14 years in 2007, the Astros were in the final stages of a search for a new general manager.

That new GM would be Ed Wade, who had spent eight years with the Phillies as general manager, from 1998 until his firing in 2005.

And while Wade is long gone from Philadelphia, he has played a critical role in the team’s success while not stepping foot inside a Phillies office.

After the conclusion of the 2007 season, with the Phillies still looking to build towards a championship, general manager Pat Gillick consummated a trade with Wade that brought closer Brad Lidge to Philadelphia.

Forty-eight saves and a championship later, you could say that the Phillies had their way with their former GM. After all, it only took outfielder Michael Bourn, the final piece remaining from the deal in Houston, to get Lidge.

If Wade came into town early on Sunday for his team’s series against the Phillies, he could have seen another one of his trades helping out his old team.

Roy Oswalt has been nothing short of spectacular thus far for the Phillies, going 3-1 with a 2.43 ERA in his five starts with the team. On Sunday, he dominated the Washington Nationals, pitching seven shutout innings in a 6-0 victory.

The Phillies got him from Wade for what largely amounted to a sack of baseballs, and that’s no disrespect towards gentlemanly left-hander J.A. Happ. But to be fair, the Phillies stole Oswalt from the Astros because they were willing to pay him.

And maybe that’s the silver lining here. Maybe Wade isn’t the guy who looks like the fool in all of this.

As fans, we do not know how much Wade has been hamstrung by team owner Drayton McLane, and what influence he has had in Wade’s decisions.

There could be plenty of wheelings and dealings behind the scene that have left Wade looking like the fall man.

Days after the Oswalt trade, the New York Yankees acquired Lance Berkman from Houston in what was again a salary dump, with minimal prospects going Houston’s way.

What is important here is that the Phillies seem to have a steady working relationship with Wade in Houston. There are probably conspiracy theorists out there wondering how the Phillies got Oswalt for the price they did.

Phillies fans know this pain. Wade dealt star pitcher Curt Schilling to the Diamondbacks in 2000, in a trade that hardly ever benefited the Phillies.

While he left to low approval ratings in Philadelphia, he certainly left the team in good shape for the future. It took plenty of tweaking here and there, moves that Wade seemed incapable of in his time with the team.

When Wade stares out onto the field in this series, he’ll watch Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, and Chase Utley, all drafted when Wade was here. While scouting director Marti Wolever can certainly take a large part of the credit for drafting those players, Wade deserves it as well.

He also hired current manager Charlie Manuel before his exit, a move that fans didn’t take much liking to in Wade’s final year here in 2005. Since then, Manuel has become a sort of folk hero in the city of Philadelphia.

Now, with the Phillies fighting for another playoff berth, they’ve gotten help from Wade once more in the form of Oswalt. Along with Hamels and ace Roy Halladay, the Phillies are hoping those three lead them deep into the post-season.

They couldn’t have done it without Wade, who seems to be helping the Phillies more these days since he stopped collecting paychecks from them.

Give Wade credit. In many ways, he was able to help set the Phillies up for this magical run they have had in the past few seasons.

But as fans in Houston now know, many of his moves are perplexing. Don’t worry, Houston. Maybe some day he’ll help you out, even if he’s not getting paid to.

 

 

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Albert Pujols: Can a Player Win a Triple Crown Without an MVP Award?

It happened to Chuck Klein in 1933. It happened to Ted Williams twice, in 1942 and 1947. Could it happen again in 2010?

Could Albert Pujols win the Triple Crown without winning his league’s Most Valuable Player Award?

If this article seems like it is coming out of nowhere, that is understandable.

The answer to this question should be, and in all practicality probably is, no. It has been so long since we’ve had a hitting Triple Crown that if a player were to pull it off, the feat itself would so drastically overshadow the accomplishments of any other player. The Triple Crown would be all we talked about.

And besides, in the 1930’s and 1940’s, when Ted Williams and Chuck Klein were robbed of Most Valuable Player Awards, the award itself was still in its infancy. The Baseball Writers Association of America only took over MVP voting in 1931; in 1933, 1942, and 1947 the notion of what makes a player “valuable” was still being bandied about.

Thus, Williams lost out to an infielder, Joe Gordon, who had an inferior season while playing for a pennant winner in 1942, and to Joe DiMaggio, who had lesser numbers but also played for a pennant winner in 1947.

Consider also that Chuck Klein lost to Carl Hubbell, a pitcher, in the pre-Cy Young Award days. This would not likely happen in 2010.

 

Nevertheless, one need not torture logic to imagine the perfect scenario under which Pujols might win the Triple Crown and lose the Most Valuable Player Award. Imagine the following happens.

First of all, imagine that the St. Louis Cardinals fail to make the playoffs, and do so by a wide margin.

The Cards currently have the sixth best record in the NL, are three and a half games behind the Reds in the NL Central, and are in third place in the NL Wild Card race behind the Phillies and Giants. Suppose the Cards go into September six games behind the Reds and aren’t even in the thick of things coming down the stretch.

If there is anything we know about the Most Valuable Player award-voting, it is that voters like players from playoff teams. In the past several seasons, voters have avoided the best players in the league to give the award, instead, to Jimmy Rollins, Dustin Pedroia, Justin Morneau, and Miguel Tejada, because they played on teams that went to the postseason.

But that, alone, wouldn’t be enough to sway the voting from a Triple Crown winner.

So, imagine that we have a memorable/historic finish in either the NL East or the NL West.

Both divisions have relatively close races at this point in the season, though the Padres are beginning to pull away from the pack. Imagine, though, that either the Phillies or the Giants make a triumphant run down the stretch to catch the Braves or the Padres, and the whole shebang comes down to the final day of the season.

In 2009, the Minnesota Twins made a miracle run at the AL Central division and Joe Mauer came away with the AL MVP. In 2007, the Phillies came back from seven games down with 15 games to play, and Jimmy Rollins won the NL MVP.

In 2004, Vlad Guerrero got lightning hot for the Angels in the final month of the season and won the AL MVP after the Angels clinched the division on the last day of the season. Miguel Tejada had a similar run for the A’s in 2002.

What if Aubrey Huff goes white-lightning in September for the Giants or Ryan Howard or Jayson Werth go ballistic for the Phillies, and one of those two teams wins the division on the final day?

Would that be enough to bump off Albert Pujols?

Finally, what if it is determined that despite Albert’s Triple Crown, another player is simply better?

The last time we had a Triple Crown was 1967, back before the statistical revolution and back when we thought home runs, RBI, and batting average were the end-all be-all of baseball statistics.

What if Pujols were to win the Triple Crown, but his runs created, batting runs, OPS+, or WAR were to tell us that another player was actually the better player?

I can only imagine this happening in the case of two other players: Joey Votto and Adrian Gonzalez.

At this point, Votto and Pujols are in a statistical dead-heat for the best player in the National League. They have virtually identical OPS+ (Votto leads 169 vs. 167), WAR (Pujols, 5.0 vs. 4.7), and batting runs (Pujols, 45.3 vs. 43.3).  Pujols leads in home runs, RBI, and total bases; Votto leads in runs, batting average, and OPS.

The difference between them is within the margin of error.

As for Gonzalez, he would be right there in the conversation, if not for being absolutely mugged by Petco Park. His road numbers dominate Pujols’ road numbers.  But I digress.

Imagine, for a moment, that Pujols manages to hold off Votto in the home run, RBI, and batting average departments, winning each category narrowly, but Votto still leads the NL in runs scored, bases on balls, and OPS.  Imagine, also, that Votto takes the OPS+ crown, pulls ahead in WAR, and finishes the season with more batting runs.

And imagine that he does all of this for a team, the Reds, that wins the NL Central, beating the Cardinals by six or more games in the standings.

Wouldn’t Joey Votto necessarily end up winning the National League Most Valuable Player over Albert Pujols, the Triple Crown Winner?

Actually. . . 

No, I don’t think it would happen, either.

Asher B. Chancey lives in Philadelphia and is a co-founder of BaseballEvolution.com.

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Stephen Strasburg Goes Down Again

I sat down to watch the Washington Nationals—Philadelphia Phillies game early Saturday night and once again, I was impressed with what I saw out of phenom Stephen Strasburg for the first 4.1 innings.

Strasburg was rolling through the Phillies’ lineup, allowing just two hits and one run while striking out six. His fastball was touching the high 90s and he was mixing in his curve and his change to really dominate the Philly lineup.

Then the fifth inning happened.

On a 1-1 pitch to fellow rookie Domonic Brown, Strasburg threw a ball that tailed low and away to Brown, but Strasburg appeared to be hurt on the pitch. He kept flexing his arm and immediately the trainer came out to see what the issue was.

Strasburg left the game with what later was diagnosed as a strained tendon in his right forearm. Strasburg underwent an MRI on Sunday, but the results of that test are still not known.

I don’t know what the MRI will show, but if a strained tendon in his forearm is all that happened, then the Nationals are darn lucky. With Strasburg’s reaction, I thought he had blown out is elbow.

Regardless of what the MRI shows, Strasburg’s 2010 season should be over. The Nationals are going nowhere the rest of the season and there is no point in pushing Strasburg.

The Nationals have too much invested in Strasburg and they can’t be that desperate for a gate that they would threaten his career by sending him back out there.

 

For those who want to already want to compare him to Mark Prior—pump the breaks. Prior suffered injuries and had surgeries that prematurely ended his career. I am not going to come close to putting Strasburg in the Prior category just yet.

As soon as the results of Strasburg’s MRI are announced, I will have an update on this post.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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Will Jimmy Rollins and the Phightin Philadelphia Phillies Three-Peat?

With only 39 more games left in the season, the Phightin’s look to be doing what they do best—fight. Their resiliency has shown through one season after another, fighting through injuries and keeping afloat in the playoff hunt for 162 solid games.

The MLB isn’t like any other sport, in that, you can not fake your resiliency for 162 games. If you continually put in the work season after season, you are no doubt, an elite team.

This year is no different.

The Atlanta Braves having the number one spot in the NL East is definitely a challenge for the Phillies to contend with, but, a new challenge has never scared the Phillies off, in fact, they’ve welcomed these challenges with open arms.

In 2008 and 2009 the Los Angeles Dodgers were thought to be the team that would end Philadelphia’s World Series Journey.

In previous years, there was talk about the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, and even at times, the Colorado Rockies were talked up more then the Phillies. This year, the talk is Atlanta.

Jason Heyward is an absolute stud with his 12 home runs and team-leading nine stolen bases, and could be a problem for the Phils. But the same team that ran through Manny Ramirez, two years straight and Evan Longoria in 2008 have a never-say-die attitude.

The only two teams who have been able to stop the Phillies since 2007 has been the Colorado Rockies, who the Phils avenged last year, and the New York Yankees who, after losing to the Phightins in game one, finally made the Phillies look human.

This year, with the New York Yankees dominating the American League, the question remains: Will the Phillies get the opportunity in 2010 to pay the Yankees back? Or will they face the Rays again, in position to be on the receiving end of payback? Or, will they be knocked off by one of the newly emerging teams in the NL?

There are many questions, but that is what is going to make September so fun.

The Phils have finally gotten their lineup back just in time for the September push, leaving the MLB with a lot to fear.

J-Roll, the locomotive for the Phillies, has been gunning for the Yankees for a couple years now. And his determinations have, up until this day, become realities for the Phillies. Will his latest determination to come back and win again come to fruition?

What do you think? I think it will.

 

For all the latest writing from Vincent Heck, please visit: www.vincentheckwriting.com

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Philadelphia Phillies Super Trio Makes Them the Favorites in October

If the Phillies can continue their usual strong play in the latter portion of the season, they will most likely wind up in the playoffs. Whether it’s after they overtake the Atlanta Braves and win the NL East, or via the consolation prize of a wild card berth, most expect the Phils to be playing in the MLB’s second season.

And if or when the Phils do make it past the regular season, their super trio of starting pitchers has to make them a favorite in the NL.

Most of the hardships this season have come from the erratic and unpredictable play of Joe Blanton and Kyle Kendrick. Both guys have had some gems, but both guys have also had their fair share of games that make any observer wonder why in the world either of them are in the majors.

Of course, the incredible numbers of injuries doesn’t help, but that hasn’t seem to have affected Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, or Roy Oswalt. Granted, Hamels’ record doesn’t look so hot at 7-10, but with some hitting it’s not out of the question for him to be sitting at 12-5 or better.

Even Halladay, who sits at 16-8, could probably be 20-4 were it not for the injuries, and the other Roy hasn’t pitched a bad game for the Phils since his debut back on July 30.

And when the playoffs roll around, the chances of Blanton or Kendrick seeing too many starts at slim. Each could possibly see a start in the first series, but after that the Phils would likely go to a three-man rotation depending on when their days off land.

Then Blanton and Kendrick can move into the bullpen as long relief guys to compliment the rest of the bullpen and all of a sudden Philly looks set.

This is a club with a healthy mix of guys who have played and won in the playoffs, and guys who would love nothing more than to finally get into the playoffs and do some winning.

Impressive pitching, along with a healthy lineup, could mean trouble for the other three NL teams entering the October tournament, and perhaps set the stage for a 2009 World Series rematch between the Phils and New York Yankees.

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MLB Playoffs: Should Phillies Use a Three-Man Rotation in 2010 Playoffs?

The article has been included in just about every major newspaper and website that cover the major league baseball pennant chase.

It’s headline, in various creative forms, poses a question about the best starting rotations in baseball.

The listed contenders don’t vary much from source to source, and more often than not, the top spot is held by the crew Ruben Amaro Jr. has assembled in South Philadelphia.

Almost every one of these analyses concludes with the Phillies at or near the top the list, along with the following question—In a playoff series, would you want to face the big three of Halladay, Oswalt, and Hamels?

Quite simply, with those three arms at the top of the rotation, if the Phillies can avoid a Tiger Woods-like swing slump in a playoff series, and they will be difficult to beat.

To be honest, there are very few teams that have the ability survive a cold-stretch of hitting in a playoff series, and the Phillies are capable of some pretty nasty dry spells at the plate. It’s what makes Phillies fans so thankful for their elite starting pitchers.

However, the problem with the assumption that the Phillies’ starting pitching will be handled by only Halladay, Oswalt, and Hamels is that it fails to consider the possibility that someone other than the big three could be called on in the playoffs.

Assuming the Phillies hold on to the wild-card position or overtake the Braves for the NL East title, they will soon be faced with the decision of using a three-man starting rotation in the playoffs versus the option of sending either Joe Blanton or Kyle Kendrick to the mound in order to keep their big-three on their normal four days rest.

In case you need a reminder, this is the same Joe Blanton that opponents have enjoyed a .301 batting average against this season. He is also the $8 million dollar option with the 4^th worst ERA in the majors (5.54). Equally troubling is the fact that Blanton has only produced quality starts in 10 of his 20 opportunities this season.

As for Kyle Kendrick, the phrase “feast or famine” couldn’t be a more appropriate description of the risk that accompanies the Phillies fifth starter. He has looked terrific in nine of his 24 starts, lasting at least six innings while giving up one or fewer runs. Just as frequent, however, are the nights during which he can’t keep his team in the game. Kendrick has given up five or more runs ten times this season.

So, when it comes to a fourth starter for this year’s postseason, the Phillies are facing a huge roll of the dice. If they want to keep the big guns on regular rest, they can pitch Joe Blanton and expect a consistently mediocre outing that won’t kill them if the offense is rolling. They could also resort to Kyle Kendrick, in which case they may get a terrific start or be blown off the field in the early innings of a crucial game.

The possibility of a three-man rotation in the playoffs is something that needs to be examined using a concrete example. Just how difficult would this task be for Halladay, Oswalt, and Hamels?

A quick look at the Phillies playoff run of 2009 provides some insight.

Remember that the Phillies starting rotation for the 2009 playoffs included Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, and Pedro Martinez (Jamie Moyer, J.A. Happ, and Brett Myers were eliminated from starting consideration when the playoffs arrived).

That four-man rotation worked off of four days rest throughout the entire 2009 playoffs, which ended when the Phillies lost in the sixth game of the World Series.

A closer look at that playoff schedule reveals that even a three-man rotation could have functioned with four days rest between starts until nearly the very end. Thanks, in part, to the Phillies quick advancement through the first two rounds of the playoffs, a three man rotation could have pitched with full rest all the way until the fourth and fifth games of the World Series.

That would mean that if the Phillies compete in this year’s postseason, they could conceivably utilize a three-man rotation and only be required to call on Roy Halladay or Roy Oswalt to pitch with three days rest once or twice. This would seem to be a reasonable approach if the reward was a World Series title.

Assuming the Phillies make the playoffs in 2010, the only foil to the three-man rotation plan would be if they are stretched to five or seven games in the first two rounds of the playoffs, which would subtract from their off-days between series. If that happens, and a fourth starter is needed, Joe Blanton’s usual three or four runs over six innings would likely be a better option than Kyle Kendrick’s potential for a meltdown.

Halladay, Oswalt, and Hamels are a $37 million dollar per year investment. With the way they consistently shut down the opposition, this dollar amount is an absolute bargain.

As the Phillies look ahead to another postseason run, they would be wise to not leave their fate in the hands of any other starting pitcher on their roster.

 

 

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The 10 Best Wins for the Phillies this Year

We all know that the Phillies have had some great games this year.  We also know that a lot of the games were very important to the season.

  Some of the games kept them in the division race or the Wild Card race, some of the games started streaks, and some of the games were just plain good games. Here are some of the best games the Phillies played this year.

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Brad Lidge: Is Lights Out Back For The Philadelphia Phillies?

On July 31st, Brad Lidge blew yet another save for the Philadelphia Phillies.

The three-run bomb by Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman was Lidge’s fourth blown save of the season, and for many fans, it was the last straw.

Yet again, talk radio and the blogosphere was flooded with fans screaming that Lidge should be moved out of the closer’s role, possibly in favor of set-up man Ryan Madson.

Manager Charlie Manuel refused to consider such a move. And over the last three weeks, something interesting happened.

Lidge started looking good. Really good.

In fact, Lidge has went seven-for-seven in save opportunities in the month of August, and has yet to give up a run.

So is this rebound a small sample size-induced mirage, or has Lidge finally figured it out? Is he back to being the same “lights out” closer of 2008?

The hard truth is that Lidge will never fully return to the heights of 2008. But yes, it does appear Lidge has worked past his issues, and is back to being a solid closer.

The “Perfect” Season Revisited

In 2008, Brad Lidge was perfect.  In 48 chances, he did not blow one save, and was about as valuable as a closer not named Mariano Rivera can be. Lidge was undeniably fantastic.

He was also a bit lucky.

During the 2008 season, only 3.8 percent of Lidge’s fly balls left the yard. The league average is around 10 percent, but due to small sample size and matchups, elite relievers do often beat that average.

However, Lidge’s career HR/FB ratio is 11.0 percent.

As a result, it seems likely that his 2008 percentage was an anomaly. He should not be expected to ever reach that level of home run prevention ever again in his career.

Therefore, fans waiting for a return of the perfect closer will continue to be frustrated.

Back to 2008 Levels?

By all statistical measures, Lidge had an awful 2009 season. His strikeout rate dropped to its lowest of level of his career, as he racked up a 9.36 K/9 rate.  That was down from his 2008 rate of 11.94.

In addition, Lidge walked more batters. His 5.22 BB/9 was also a career high.

And his home run rate, while abnormally low in 2008, went through the roof in 2009. His 1.69 HR/9 rate was yet another career high.

After a poor start to the 2010 season, many observers dealt with “deja vu.” Lidge’s struggles seemed to be a carbon copy of 2009.

Therefore, it may be a surprise to learn that Lidge’s strikeout and walk rates in 2010 are almost identical to his 2008 numbers.

2008 Lidge: 11.94 K/9, 4.54 BB/9

2010 Lidge: 11.12 K/9, 4.45 BB/9

His elevated 2010 ERA in comparison to 2008 is purely a result of his home run rate. While in 2008, his 3.8 percent HR/FB rate was lucky, this year, Lidge has been a bit unlucky. His 15.2 percent HR/FB rate is even higher than last year, and considering his improvements in strikeouts and control, is probably just bad luck.

But Lidge appears to have his stuff back. His control has never been stellar, but he has returned to his career averages, which is a fantastic sign.

August Success

But has Lidge actually turned the corner? Will he sustain his improvements in strikeout rate and walk rate, or should fans still be concerned of a regression back to 2009 Lidge?

The most promising sign that the new reliable Lidge is here to stay comes in his newfound August aversion to the free pass.

In eight August appearances, Lidge has not walked one batter. He is pounding the strike zone and getting batters to chase when he throws outside the zone.

This run is his longest streak of consecutive appearances without a walk since 2008, when Lidge went 10 appearances between April 21 and May 9 without issuing a free pass.

August has not been a fluke. It’s much easier to finish a game in the ninth when the closer is not giving anyone a free trot to first base.

Conclusion

Phillies fans have seen the best of Lidge (2008), and the worst of Lidge (2009).

This has sadly resulted in a tendency to be reactionary when it comes to Lidge. When he strings together a few strong appearances, “Lights Out” is back. 

But when he blows a save, the “Madson for closer” brigade comes out in full force.

The fact is, all closers blow saves sometimes. Lidge is no different.

But his improvements in his peripheral statistics should help Lidge limit those occurrences going forward.

The 2008 Lidge will never come back. But the embattled closer has returned to reliability.

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