Tuesday night Charlie Manuel pulled Brad Lidge in the 9th inning against the lowly Washington Nationals after “Lights Out” loaded the bases with one out.
Manuel put in Ryan Madson who got the Phils out of the jam and preserved the victory.
After the game Manuel said, “When I say he’s my closer, I don’t tell lies and I don’t like to go back on nothing. But the team and the game is bigger than my heart , and it’s bigger than anything else, if you want to know the truth. Winning the game is what it’s all about- that’s baseball and that’s why I manage and that’s what comes first.”
So does Charlie finally get it? Has he finally seen through his blind loyalty of Brad Lidge?
Part of what can keep a players make up strong is obviously the faith his manager or coach has in him to get the job done. This means sticking with a player whose struggling, especially when you know they are better then they are playing, when you know they’ll come out of whatever awful slump their in. However, do we know that Brad Lidge will ever be Brad Lidge again?
Lidge has been shaky more times then not this entire season. Manuel has stuck by his man, a reward for being so clutch during last years wonderful ride. Though doing the same action and getting the same results over and over again is the dictionary definition of insanity.
A team vying for a third straight playoff appearance and perhaps a second straight World Series title can not be led by a man whose showing signs of insanity.
So maybe Charlie has come to his senses? Whose to say that the next time a save situation occurs Manuel won’t bring in Lidge for one more shot?
Well he simply can’t do that, Lidge is spent. Charlie has already put him out there to many times and cost this team too many games. They can’t afford to give away anymore games.
The next step is finding out who your closer is going to be. And who says you need to have “one” closer? Yet another unspoken rule that baseball has created. Many would argue that you need a special kind of mentality to be a closer and that kind of attitude can’t be switched on and off. So it would be impossible to use more then one guy in the closer role from night to night.
Are these guys babies? Honestly, it’s only three outs. Is there pressure? Of course, but your getting paid very handsomely to stand up to that pressure and do your job.
Is it pressure that’s gotten to Brad Lidge or can he simply not pitch anymore?
In my mind the pressure excuse is overrated, especially for a guy like Brad Lidge. This is a guy who was perfect all of last year, starred pressure in the face that last game of the World Series and came out on top. Has that same pressure wearing a Washington Nationals jersey now all of sudden gotten to him? Doubtful.
Anybody who watches baseball enough knows what plagues Lidge. Location, location, location! Can’t locate that fastball so nobody in their right mind is gonna go hacking at his ridiculous slider. So Lidge needs to get that figured out, but the team can’t wait around for him to get it straight.
Time to move on from Brad, Charlie. Name another closer whether it be Madson or Myers, or just go with your gut. Just don’t go with Lidge anymore this season.
