Skip to main content

Bad Lidge

By
So far this season, Brad Lidge has been scored on in 8 of his 15 appearances, including his last 5. Last season it took Lidge until Joe Blanton's first Phillies start on July 22nd, to be scored upon 8 times. In fact, through May 14th last year, Lidge had only been scored on once (his first run allowed was on May 13th). All of Lidge's runs this season are earned. It was August 3rd last season before Lidge let up earned runs for the 8th time.

There have been rare occasions where Lidge struggled this badly. To start his career with Houston in 2002, Lidge was scored on in his first three appearances. In August 2006, Lidge let up runs in three straight appearances for the second time in his career. The following month, Lidge was scored on in 6 out of 8 appearances. Lidge's 2006 season ERA was 5.28. Other than that single rough year, Lidge's highest season ERA came in his first full season in the Majors, 2003, at 3.60. There have been no times in Lidge's career that he was scored upon in more than 3 consecutive outings, before now.

His current ERA, through 15 appearances, is 8.59. In Lidge's difficult 16 game stretch from mid-August 2006 when he was scored on in three straight, to when he was scored on in 6 of 8 in September, his ERA was 5.39. So, the reality of all this is that his start to the 2009 season is the worst stretch of games in Brad Lidge's career.

What exactly is wrong with Lidge? I don't know. The Phillies may not know. Brad Lidge may not even know. A role reversal may be in order. Ryan Madson, known to some as "The Bridge to Lidge", may be the more reliable guy to trust when a game is on the line. Madson has thrown 9 straight scoreless outings, and batters are hitting .211 off of him. We know the streak that Lidge has going, and opponents are batting .317 off of him. Maybe a DL stint is in order. Maybe that will be put off, by the Phils, till JC Romero is closer to returning (his suspension is up, barring rain outs, on June 3rd). Maybe pitching coach Rich Dubee will do his job and fix the problem. Maybe Lidge will get back to being Mr. Perfect. Maybe I am having a bad dream. Pinch me.
Labels:

Comments

GM-Carson said…
I like your omission of the "r" from Brad's, oops I mean Bad's name.
May 15, 2009 at 3:53 PM
Amanda said…
I think Eaton has a lower ERA than him...
May 15, 2009 at 4:28 PM
Anonymous said…
Now pitching for the Phillies- BAD Lidge.
Something needs to change. He's not the same any longer.....


-OBC
May 16, 2009 at 2:14 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lidge Shaky, T-Mac Honored in Trenton

By
TRENTON, NJ- Brad Lidge made his second rehab appearance for the Double A Reading Phillies on Thursday night and it didn't go as well as the veteran reliever or the team had hoped. Lidge struggled with his command and turned in a rather poor outing for the club that entered the night in a playoff race, 1 game behind division rival Trenton for the Wild Card spot in the Eastern Division. On the disabled list since spring training with a strained right rotator cuff, Lidge experienced an elbow strain when he was working back from that issue in late May. In his outing against the Yankees affiliate in Trenton, Lidge displayed difficulty with his control as he threw three wild pitches, hit two batters, walked another and gave up a single, all while letting up two earned runs on 28 pitches in 2/3 of an inning. After the disappointing performance, Lidge was composed and focused on some positive aspects, having reached 89 and 90 MPH on scouts' radar guns, according to some reports. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Rappers in Phillies Caps

By
Weekend greetings to you phine pholks out there. Today's post features pictures of rappers wearing Phillies caps. Why rappers in Phillies caps, you ask? Because... Any other questions? We will start things off properly by going with a highly recognizable hip hop star. 50 Cent stays constantly relavant by consistantly creating radio friendly material to help sell (G) units, while he "keeps it real" by still rapping about the thug life he lived before becoming the 2nd highest earning black entertainer in America. 50 is seen here in a recent interview rocking a throw-back Phillies cap. Next up we'll use a throw-back screen cap from what may be the very first major appearance by a rapper wearing Phillies gear. Chuck D, of legendary rap group Public Enemy, wore a Phillies cap in the music video for rap anthem Fight The Power in 1989. The song was the lead single from the soundtrack for Spike Lee's film Do The Right Thing . Next up we'll go with some home grown tal...
3 comments
Read more

Drabek Preparing For Next Step

By
The transition has been easy for Kyle Drabek. In December, he was part of a package of young prospects that was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for ace pitcher Roy Halladay. Now, as though nothing has changed, he's right back where he was last season...the star prospect on the pitching staff of a team in the Double A Eastern League. Drabek has often stated that he wanted to stay in the Philadelphia organization, who drafted him in the first round of the 2006 amateur draft. The 22-year-old thought after the midseason trade rumors, that surrounded him possibly going to Toronto last year, passed with no action that all the turmoil was over and that he could simply relax and focus on getting to the big leagues with the Phillies. That wasn't the case, as the deal eventually came to fruition over the off-season. In the Blue Jays system this season, Drabek doesn't have to worry about being dealt. He only has to concern himself with opposing batters and working on his secondary pit...
2 comments
Read more