CLEARWATER, Fla. -- I can hear the sports-radio chatter all the way down here in Florida, so allow me to address some of your inevitable questions.1. No, Brett Myers won't be the Phillies' opening-day closer.
2. No, Brad Lidge isn't this year's version of Freddy Garcia.
Before and after the Phillies got the news yesterday that Lidge will have arthroscopic surgery today to clean up some lingering problems in his surgically repaired right knee, Charlie Manuel said Tom Gordon, not Myers, is Plan B to pitch ninth innings. Barring any long-term problem for Lidge, the Phils are committed to leaving Myers in the rotation. And since typical recovery time from Lidge's surgery is 3 to 6 weeks, this isn't being considered a long-term problem.
If you ask me, it's a small stretch to draw comparisons between Lidge and Garcia, the $10 million pitcher who won exactly one game for the Phillies last season after being traded from the White Sox in a big winter-meetings deal in '06. First, Garcia had a shoulder problem. Lidge has a knee problem. By all accounts, Lidge has been throwing the ball well in spring training. Garcia never threw the ball well. And once all or part of Lidge's damaged meniscus is removed today, doctors have said he won't have any lingering knee pain when he pitches. From the moment he reported to spring training (and probably before that) until he had surgery last summer, Garcia never stopped having shoulder pain.
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Kris Benson threw his curveball for the first time in three years during his 65-pitch bullpen session yesterday. That's a good sign. Also, the Phils got a look at Tom Gordon's son, Devaris, yesterday, and according to assistant GM Mike Arbuckle, they liked what they saw.
3 comments:
Good, this Devaris Gordon can close when his dad inevitably breaks down midseason and Brad Lidge still isn't the same after another knee injury. Until Lidge proves the assumption that he's another Garcia wrong, Scott, I see no reason to doubt it. Maybe there's a reason the Phillies are able to trade for all these "star" pitchers on the fairly cheap - they're damaged goods.
Hey Slauber, two questions:
1) Any sign of Anna Benson at Phillies camp? That will put some pop - if you know what I mean - into her husband's curveball.
2) Sandy Koufax was hangin' with the Mets pitchers last Friday. When is Steve Carlton coming to the Phillies camp to teach Phils pitchers how to clam up with the press?
king myno,
i'm going to have to disagree. freddy garcia turned out to be perhaps the phils' worst acquisition of all time. He made almost 10 grand per pitch. We're getting Lidge on the upswing of a down 2006--his second half numbers last year were great. His arm is good, his knee will be fine, and he's going to close for 2 million dollars cheaper than his setup man.
Besides, you know you will be rocking out just as hard as me to whatever stale rock music he chooses with which to identify. I welcome Lights-Out Lidge aboard, and will only sway once he blows 2 saves in a row.
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