Dear Brad Lidge,
I want you off my team. I want you out of my city. I understand you were once a very good pitcher at a point in time when it was acutely crucial to the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Yes, you were an instrumental piece of the puzzle in the 2008 World Series championship team, you've reaped that appreciation abundantly and used it as a shield for your failures. You were also an immensely large factor in the loss of the 2009 World Series championship and you're well on your way to potentially being the ambassador of our present downfall. You've shown your true colors to be not that of skill but of fluke. The times you do actually convert a save opportunity is not by the grace of your own hand but by the folly of the opposition. Your days of adoration for past efforts in Philadelphia are over. We must live in the present to go forth and conquer.
Yet, I fear that your days on the playing field in Philadelphia are far from over. It should be duly noted that you, Brad, are not solely to blame for these atrocities. Your manager and the man at the helm of our hopes and dreams, Charles Manuel, continues to call upon you for innings of work all the while knowing in advance the potential outcome. Time and time again he's waved to you from the dugout with the all knowing eye of wisdom and age yet the majority of these instances you've induced panic and rage at his beckon call. He's well aware of the terror. Either a sadistic streak has been exhibited by our fearless leader or an overwhelming sense of confidence and loyalty in a broken down work horse. I don't know which is worse.
Take last night's game for example. Ordinary Joe Blanton did his predictable dance with the entire opposing batting order, giving up 3 runs in his first inning of work. Our offense clawed and scratched their way over 9 innings to a 5-4 lead with the help of Raul Ibanez and Carlos Ruiz most notably, and you were once again summoned. 3 outs and that is all, that is your simple task. The collective fear that swept across Phillies Nation was so tangible it would take said nation to carry it to the sea for proper burial.
You give up a lead off single to pinch-hitter Michael Morse yet record an out on a sacrifice bunt from Nyger Morgan. The Nation sags and sighs. We are getting closer to victory yet no further from danger. You walk Adam Kennedy. The nation cringes and holds its breath until the contraction ceases. Then fucking Ryan Zimmerman steps to the plate. I think you understand where this is going, you were there, Brad.... The sound of the crack as the ball set soaring was akin to the sound of the camel's back finally snapping. Another walk-off 3-run home run and it was all your fault. You lost the game, no one else. 5-7, Nationals.
This has become all too common. Considering the front offices refusal to put you out to pasture, I just have one final question for you, Brad; How many more lives must be lost? You must realize it's all your hands.
This is how my inner-monologue sounded for about 3-4 hours after watching that dingleberry blow another fucking save. Sounds like the mind of a serial killer, right? I have since calmed the fuck down and I mean no harm but shit, Lidge. You really have been stinking up the henhouse the last year-and-a-half and I had to vent in my own way. I feel for you brother, I do. This has to be rough on you, too and my words must only be twisting the knife deeper into your nightmare. You're breaking my heart because you were once the king of closers but now your are becoming a gag.
It's only a game, my man. I think it's time we really for once said goodnight to Brad Lidge. He did us great for one season and we'll never forget him for it but has done us dirty for almost twice that and is now jeopardizing what could be our 4th post-season birth and it's not fucking funny anymore. It's time to say goodbye.
I wonder if Amaro has Scott Mathieson's number?
Fuck new york and let's live for today.
JSIII
Its pretty much a given that Brad Lidge has expired. He is done. His fastball hovers around 90-92 rather than the 95-96 his regularly threw a few years ago. The location is often poor on the fastball and it lacks movement. This leaves him with the slider. On the outings where the slider isnt working he is effed. Being that Ryan Madson cant seem to hack closing, the only option at this point would be to give the ball to Contreras and tell him the closer job is his
ReplyDeleteto lose and tell Lidge he will have to earn the right to close again and will have to earn it by throwing consistently and effectively over a sustained period and even if he does, Contreras would have the role until he shows he cant do it.Mix-matching or keeping Lidge on the short leash in the 9th isnt going to work as many times in a save situation, the decent relievers have been used up already and they will be stuck with having Herndon or Baez coming in with men on. Also, mix-matching taxes the pen. Go with Contreras. He hasnt been as dominant as he was earlier this season, but get him into the role and hope that he would be at least middle of the pack or better, which would certainly be an upgrade on having the worst closer in baseball coming in. I would also DFA Baez and bring Mathieson up and start grooming
him.