Author Topic: Lidge ... not mentally recovered from post season (Read 21362 times)

jb1219 · « **on:** April 24, 2006, 11:50:26 pm »

he doesn't have it between the ears right now.

rifraft · « **Reply #1 on:** April 24, 2006, 11:52:50 pm »

Quote:

he doesn't have it between the ears right now.

Bullshit, what he didn't have tonight was good location with his pitches.
He's 7/8 on saves this year, he's not hurting this team at all. Anyone who says otherwise is an idiot.

jb1219 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 25, 2006, 12:17:57 am »

his stuff is there, it look like he's afraid to throw it over the plate. He put himself in the position where he had throw a strike..grooved a fastball and nomar wasn't fooled. He needed to challenge guys earlier in the inning before he had no margin for error. that's why i say he isn't there mentally. a closer needs to come in there confident and bring it

Fynn · « **Reply #13 on:** April 25, 2006, 12:26:13 am »

Although Lidge leads the NL in saves, it seems that lately whenever he comes in he has to work himself out of a self-created jam. I find that I cringe whenever he comes in to save a game---he might be able to strike out the side after loading the bases and get a save, but how long can this go on?

Twoniner · « **Reply #18 on:** April 25, 2006, 12:29:26 am »

He hasn't been as sharp with the control but he had 15 k's in 10 innings coming in, so it's not like Pujols made Lidge's stuff unnasty. Also, it's not mental because in the previous games he has gotten into jams then excelled when the pressure was really on. Different outcome tonight, long season.

jb1219 · « **Reply #23 on:** April 25, 2006, 12:37:19 am »

fastball in..right after that first splitter in the dirt

seib22 · « **Reply #25 on:** April 25, 2006, 12:39:03 am »

twice

CrawfordBoxes · « **Reply #28 on:** April 25, 2006, 12:45:38 am »

The fact of the matter is Lidge is not as dominating as he was. He's throwing the same shit as he always has but hitters are stepping into the box feeling like they can hit him. He still is much better then what 90% of the teams trot out there on any given night but he is not as overpowering as he once was & face it, it ironically happened after Pujols' blast.

Fynn · « **Reply #31 on:** April 25, 2006, 12:51:44 am »

Hudson, would you say that Lidge's performane has diminished at all during the last year?

Fynn · « **Reply #41 on:** April 25, 2006, 01:05:33 am »

I simply have observed that Lidge is not as intimidating as he once was after becoming the stros closer. I don't know if his fastball no longer has the same movement or if the hitters have adjusted. As I wrote before, Lidge no longer blows the hitters away with his stuff and this worries me.
Normally he gives up at least one hit and/or a walk in the ninth and his strikeouts have declined significantly. Don't know if his delivery is slightly off, but maybe a look at some old films might help.

jb1219 · « **Reply #43 on:** April 25, 2006, 01:15:30 am »

i think stuff is still plenty good...he just needs to trust it and throw strikes. every now and then someone will sit on the fastball and hit it 400 feet, but that also happened to Ryan and any other fastball pitcher. better to not have walked the 2 previous batters though. most of the time, they wont hit it 400 ft

jaklewein · « **Reply #45 on:** April 25, 2006, 01:20:03 am »

i cant believei have to spell this out for you... AFTER THE FIRST SPLITTER IN THE DIRT I WOULD HAVE THROWN A FASTBALL ON THE INSIDE HALF TO STRIKE OUT DREW

With the exception of Clarks like you, members on this board don't have to have items spelled out. Clarks with egos don't last long here, especially when they're showing their ass in all CAPS. You'd fit in much better over at the ESPN board. My guess is that you'll be accepted immediately.

Oh, and one more thing...I'd protect my spleen at all times if I were you.

johnstros · « **Reply #48 on:** April 25, 2006, 01:23:33 am »

crawford, Lidge was playing with fire a week before the playoffs started last year. The Cubby series was quite a nailbiter, as he had a hard time putting them away. and the braves series was also scary at times, men on base.

I don't know how anyone could compare to what he did in 04. 3 strikes and you were gone...

But he doesn't have pinpoint control like he did that series. if there were a way to go back to lidge 04 cards series, that would be super, but I'm still glad he is the Astros, if they actually traded him, what other pitcher would come in and take his role? That is what scares me more than him blowing a save every blue moon

DVauthrin · « **Reply #51 on:** April 25, 2006, 01:30:28 am »

This stuff happens to the best of them. Last year people wondered in April whether Mariano Rivera could save games vs Boston ever again. Sure enough, he can.

The only thing I thought at the time of the homer to Nomar, was after fouling/missing two fastballs, and an aggressive hitter like Nomar, he should have thrown the slider, but I can understand why he might not, with a WP/PB leading to a tie game.

jaklewein · « **Reply #53 on:** April 25, 2006, 01:33:10 am »

he hit 97mph tonight

and?

Rebel Jew · « **Reply #58 on:** April 25, 2006, 01:42:13 am »

When I first looked at this thread, the thought that immediately came to mind was that jbwhatever was clearly intentionally baiting the board into anger by asking the exact kind of mindlessly overdone stupid question that he was defending in the Bagwell surgery thread. And then when I saw the first few predictably incredulous responses, I thought, 'no, don't feed into it, can't you see what he's doing?' But then I saw jb's first response, and I realized that he was actually sincere in his idiocy, and that I, ever the doubt benefactor, had given him way more credit than he will ever deserve.

jb1219 · « **Reply #59 on:** April 25, 2006, 01:42:55 am »

it means with a 97 mph fastball he needs to challenge hitters and throw strikes...you know...be a closer

guitarcec · « **Reply #71 on:** April 25, 2006, 04:22:22 am »

aw...we're spell-checking on the site now? look out fredia!

Col. Sphinx Drummond · « **Reply #72 on:** April 25, 2006, 08:32:14 am »

I wouldn't trust anyone in the organization more than Lidge in a save situation. This team has been blessed with, first Wagner, and then Lidge. Lidge is a damn good ballplayer. With that in mind, he's not perfect, he'll blow a few more save ops before the season is over. Players can get hot and go cold, then get hot again and cold again, then hot. It's streaky that way. Honestly, one of baseball's greatest appeals is it's unpredictable nature. As much as I like positive results, it's wouldn't be as much fun knowing the results before hand.

(ediedt for typos)

The Third Man · « **Reply #73 on:** April 25, 2006, 08:42:09 am »

I have spent a lot of years around the game. I've seen them come and go for a long time. I've seen the ups and downs of the game...from the inside. I know what it's like to deal with pressure and come back stronger than ever. I've seen champions take a shot in the face and come back for more. Time and time again I've seen people lie flat on their backs only to summon up the strength to rise up to their knees and keep fighting the good fight. But, enough of my observations about pornography.

I don't know how anybody can presume to get into Lidge's mental state anymore than I can figure out what Seka was thinking when Ron Jeremy was astride her like a furry avalanche. Lidge is clearly having trouble throwing his slider for strikes and the batters are laying off of everything but fastballs. I didn't expect Lidge to maintain his 2004 level of dominance without any adjustments because, well, it never happens like that. Even the best reliever of all time, Mariano Rivera, has had huge blown saves and periods where he had to regroup himself. This is hardly Mitch Williams we are talking about here. For that you need to go see one Francisco Cordero...

Andyzipp · « **Reply #76 on:** April 25, 2006, 10:15:31 am »

So fastballs should be thrown fast and Stuff=speed.

So since Moley threw 97 last night, he had his stuff, but evidently his stuff was seen at the Mercury Room with Dave Smith and Joe Sambito.

Moley needs to remember the good times that he and his stuff had a couple of years ago. Moley needs to push out the jive and bring in the love, at least when it comes to his stuff.

If Moley trusted his stuff, then that horrible scrub-ass Nomah (who the Astros tried to sign this past offseason) could have never even touched the stuff.

If only we could have Obi Wan Junior sing this to us on a giant elephant in imaginary Paris.

EasTexAstro · « **Reply #77 on:** April 25, 2006, 10:23:39 am »

Lidge must have had a premonition about the Pujols HR last May.

Andyzipp · « **Reply #78 on:** April 25, 2006, 10:27:05 am »

Lidge's stuff was flirting with Julian Tavarez last May.

No wonder Lidge couldn't trust his stuff.

Ty in Tampa · « **Reply #79 on:** April 25, 2006, 10:29:33 am »

I have never in my life seen someone come off the board bench as strong, confident and in total partnership with his stuff as you, Andyzipp.

JJxvi · « **Reply #80 on:** April 25, 2006, 10:32:17 am »

When Lidge is good, he's throwing fastballs right at the knees on guys. I dont think its an unwillingness to challenge hitters, as much as the guy just cant find it out there. He's got to come over the plate eventually, and when he does its not his best stuff lately because he cant spot the good fastball early and at some point youve got to throw a strike however you can get it done. Hitters are laying off anything they see (and thus arent prone to swinging even if he gets off a sharp slider) until they see strikes lately because the fastball on the outside black right at the knees just isnt coming anymore.

JimR · « **Reply #85 on:** April 25, 2006, 12:27:43 pm »

bullshit, junior.

mihoba · « **Reply #103 on:** April 26, 2006, 12:22:08 pm »

Ausmus was acting almost like he knew this would be it, nine innings. On his way to the box, he tapped Alomar on the shin guard with his bat, maybe to say hello, or maybe 'watch this.'

after the strike called, a close pitch, he backed out saying bullshit, the ump then pointed at the batters box, "get yer arse back in there before I toss ya", and Brad would have nothing of it. He wanted to get tossed, looks like.

lc_db · « **Reply #106 on:** April 26, 2006, 12:40:47 pm »

Abuse is part of the gig. Isn't that obvious?

NeilT · « **Reply #117 on:** April 26, 2006, 01:17:30 pm »

I thought you might like that. That's just about the extent of them, too.

Astroholic · « **Reply #118 on:** April 26, 2006, 01:19:25 pm »

Lidge was having issues with his control before Pooholes. He will be fine. Can we move on?

jb1219 · « **Reply #131 on:** April 27, 2006, 01:21:54 am »

i'm not allowed to disagree with "most of the board"? we're 15-6 and took a series from LA...why can't we all get along?

Ty in Tampa · « **Reply #135 on:** April 27, 2006, 11:11:00 am »

why can't we all get along?

'cuz your a cowardly, trolling weasel, that's why.

I was going to stay out of this but I'm hoping you'll reply so you'll be vaporized.

JimR · « **Reply #141 on:** May 01, 2006, 11:32:08 am »

what splitter? he threw FBs and sliders, imo.