Lidges Ain't Shit But Hoes and Tricks

Remember Geoff Geary? He looked like a mouse, threw a nice little fastball and complimented it with a nice little slider and loved seafood. Remember Michael Bourn? He ran fast, liked to high-five Ryan Howard and played the outfield. Remember Mike Costanzo? Proably not. He hit a bunch of home runs for AA Reading last season, led the league in errors and grew up just outside Philly. Here's my qiestion: do you miss any of these guys? Yeah, neither do I. So far I like the Lidge trade - quite a lot actually.

Look, everybody knows that saves are about as useful in terms of evaluating a pitcher as Dianetics is in evaluating the human experience. However, having a guy who can come in a close the door is a comforting feeling, albeit one that is often over-valued (see contracts of Joe Nathan, Mariano Rivera and Francisco Cordero). Honestly, Lidge has looked every bit as dominant as his secondary numbers suggested he would be. His slider is, well, very filthy and he's comfortably sitting around 95 MPH. I'm fine with the results so far. He hasn't allowed an earned run (2 unearned) and has struck out over a batter per inning. My beef with what's gone on so far is the only question I had with him coming into the season - walks.

So far this season Lidge has walked 6 guys in 11 innings. Those are pretty rough numbers. He's been able to get away with it for the most part. However, the Phils two best relievers (Lidge and L.C Romero) have been walking too many guys. They have been able to get away with this without getting hurt so far, possibly because of their high strikeout rates. However, if you simply look at their results neither pitcher has given up an earned run so far this season in over 22 innings of work. That's the sort of stuff you'd like from the back end of the bullpen. Tom Gordon has been better as of late which has shocked the hell out of me.

With Lidge and Romero holding down the last two innings of the game it makes the Phils a much easier team to watch on a regular basis. I must say, Chad Durbin has had a hand in one too many games for my liking. Lookit - I think it's just crackerjacks that he's found himself a little role on the team - really I do. But, come on, I do not want this guy in the game in high leverage situations. He's never beena good pitcher anove AAA. Since the Phillies play against teams who are generally better than AAA teams I would like to see him and his "gritty craftiness" and ability to "just get batters out" in the 6th inning of a blowout rather than the 7th inning of a ne run game. When I watch a middling guy like him it's hard not to root for his below average fastball with zero movement and straight change-up that doesn't do s whole lot. You think of him as some kid diving on loose balls in basketball practice who has no chance of ever seeing the floor. Durbin is just diving for loose balls. Sadly he won't make much of a big league pitcher in that role.