BY SCOTT LAUBERSo, Brad Lidge just completed the best season of his life, arguably as good a season as any closer has ever had. And he finished fourth in the Cy Young Award voting.
Fourth.
Actually, it's not really a surprise. As we wrote yesterday in this space and in The Paper today, closers very rarely win the Cy. Since 1989, only one closer (Eric Gagne in 2003) has won the NL Cy Young Award. In the AL, a closer hasn't won since Dennis Eckersley in 1992.
So, even though Lidge, (completely shameless plug alert: he's pictured on the cover of my book with Gary Matthews, "Phillies Confidential: The Untold Inside Story of the 2008 Championship Season," which will be in stores next week), went 41-for-41 in save chances during the regular season and was the major difference between the Phillies and Mets, it wasn't enough for him to win the Cy Young Award. Tim Linecum, the Giants' terrific right-hander, is the 2008 Cy winner, followed by Diamondbacks' 22-game winner Brandon Webb and Mets ace Johan Santana. Lidge got one second-place vote and seven third-place votes. Interestingly, Cole Hamels didn't receive any votes, not even a token third-place vote. Keep in mind, of course, that the voting takes place before the postseason. (Full disclosure: I did not have a Cy Young vote this year; I voted for the NL Rookie of the Year award).
To see the Cy Young breakdown, click here.
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Interesting trade in the NL East last night, with the Marlins sending lefty Scott Olsen and left fielder Josh Willingham to the Nationals for young second baseman Emilio Bonifacio and prospects. Makes you wonder about Dan Uggla's future in South Florida, doesn't it? Uggla, like Olsen and Willingham and recently traded first baseman Mike Jacobs, is arbitration-eligible and may be out of the penny-pinching Marlins' price range. Of course, getting Bonifacio may also signal only that the Fish are going to move Uggla to third base and Jorge Cantu to first to replace Jacobs. Regardless, on the surface, at least, the latest trade appears to have weakened the Marlins and strengthened the Nats.
4 comments:
I have enough faith in you to think that you weren't one of the people who thought Edison Volquez was a rookie?.
Sam: No, I didn't vote for Volquez. My ballot looked like this:
1. Geovany Soto, Cubs
2. Joey Votto, Reds
3. Jair Jurrjens, Braves
no vote for Evan? what a hack?
Anonymous: I voted for NL Rookie of the Year. Evan Longoria, as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays, plays in the AL.
Thanks for the note.
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