Brad Lidge

Rarely does a player experience such extremes from one year to the next, but Phillies closer Brad Lidge has lived that way since coming to the team in a trade two years ago. 

Ok, so I've spent a few blog postings whining about how Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane knows as much about baseball as ESPN columnist Rick Reilly (who famously has whined about how boring baseball is despite getting euphoric about that wonderful cure for insomnia, golf). I've also worried about Houston's off-season moves and how creamed cauliflower will have a better 2010 than the 'Stros will.

Today, we take an acrostic look at what Richard Zowie (that's me) thinks will happen to the Astros in 2010:

A-Rod delivered the big blow last night—but, was he more the hero or Lidge more the goat?

Let's build the case for each...


A-Rod as the hero

A-Rod hammered a fastball to left that was just one mile-per-hour and about three inches different then the pitch he'd just taken for strike one.

(Technically the pitch seemed to A-Rod about two to three miles-per-hour different given the three inches higher, but that's easy pickins for a decent three-spot hitter.)

Last time around we checked out the American League closers (click here to view), so this week we turn to the National League (all stats given are through Saturday):

What was the strength of last year's World Championship team is now the weakest link on the team.

Brad Lidge.

He was perfect in 2008.

What happened?

Mere months after providing a final flourish to a World Series victory and capping off a fantastic year for himself, Phillies closer Brad Lidge is enduring a miserable 2009 thus far.

No one really expected to Brad Lidge to be perfect again in 2009. In fact, I heard some fans say they hope he blows his first save opportunity to put the streak behind him and concentrate more on helping the team repeat as World Champions.

Lidge broke the streak and now has blown three saves. What is more concerning is that he seems to have no command on his pitches and the question of his knee keeps arising.

Last October the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies piled on top of their perfect closer in celebration of his forty eighth save in forty eight chances. 

Carlos Ruiz was the first to wrap his arms around perfection and then the rest of the team ensued. The pile on began a celebration that had been almost thirty years in the making. However, it brought out the flaws in a closer who went through a full season and postseason perfect. That closer was Brad Lidge.

Round 5

Jonathan Papelbon is the best closer to own, end of story.  He plays for one of the three best teams in baseball, he strikes out people at a ridiculous rate, and his ERA has never been above 2.65. His saves have increased over the last three seasons, and given the talent on the Red Sox, he could top his 41 saves from last year.