BY SCOTT LAUBERNEW YORK -- So, as you settle in for today's Phillies-Yankees series finale, I know what you're thinking.
What's wrong with Brad Lidge?
Here at Philled In, we're wondering the same thing, especially after yesterday's ninth-inning meltdown. After the game, Lidge mentioned a few things: a) He insisted he's healthy; b) He was more frustrated by the leadoff walk to Johnny Damon than the full-count fastball that Alex Rodriguez hit for a home run; c) To improve his command, he's considering either making a mechanical adjustment when he's in the windup or simply starting every inning out of the stretch.
Asked Rich Dubee about Lidge this morning, and here's what he said:
"It's just being committed to what he's doing. There's a doubt right now about whether to throw the fastball or the slider. He needs to be decisive. Don't say maybe. Be committed to what you're doing. Just committ to it, throw it and throw it to a certain spot. The guy was 48-for-48 last year. Why change? He expects perfection, and when you don't get it, you start questioning yourself."
So, why is Lidge questioning himself?
Well, according to Dubee, his fastball command has been spotty. So, even though he needs to throw his fastball to set up his slider, he's been trying to throw the slider more often. He threw A-Rod five straight sliders yesterday before throwing a fastball that caught too much of the plate, and A-Rod pounded it over the short right-field fence here.
"He doesn't throw the fastball for strikes, so [the hitters] sit slider," Dubee said. "And if the slider's not up, they take it."
More on this tomorrow in The News Journal and on http://www.delawareonline.com/.
1 comment:
It is in his head!! Like the one baseball movie with Costner in it, "Clear the mechanisms". I believe Lidge has to do that as well. Clear his head and focus on one pitch at a time.
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