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Dan Patrick show, with the line "Did one pitch to Albert Pujols change his career?"

I will try to summarize for those of you that cannot listen

Please do.

I am definitely interested in hearing those comments from Lidge.

Though, I seriously doubt he'll give the answer we all know:

"Yes. Pujols is my daddy!"

Patirck opened up talking about great numbers in 2004 and 2005, did alright in 2006, but lacked dominance of prior seasons

Did problems begin with Pujols HR?
Lidge: Felt at the start of last season (2006) he wasn't in sync (didn't want to blame World Baseball Classic) but tried to make adjustments during year that didn't work but still had 32 saves (totally didn't acknowledge the Pujols HR)

How fragile is the psyche of a reliver?
BL: Have to get past one mistake, take it a game at a time, it's easy to pick yourself up when your teammates pick you up, like after Pujols HR, still made it to WS

How do you learn failure as a reliever?
BL: always started until he got to Houston and felt like he let everyone down the first time he blew a lead (before he was a closer) but the veterans picked him up and it's just a process, if you get the job done 9 out of 10 times, that 1 time will always be the one that is remembered

Also, he said he hopes he is closing again soon.

Patrick said after Game 5 in 2005, they wanted to talk to Lidge but everyone said that wouldn't be smart, but Lidge came on anyway and said it was what he gets paid to do and is very stand up guy about it.

Closeres facinate Patrick because no matter what you have to go out there, good outing doesn't help much but bad outings just eat them alive

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I think the Pujols HR hurt him a lot to effect the rest of the playoffs (Podsednik HR in WS) but I thought he would recover with the time off. He wasn't bad last year, but not dominate like 04 and 05.

Lidge sounds like a stand up guy as do most of the Astros.

Lidge wasn't at full strength throughout that series. He might have been a little worn down. Garner worked him hard. Lidge should have blown Game 4, but John Mabry is the slowest man in the known universe. I think the impact of the Pujols homer is overstated.

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Someday it will be proven that there's something mechanical at work here - either arm trouble that isn't being addressed or his delivery is off and/or he 's tipping pitches.

His K rates and WHIP indicate that he should still be a great closer. But I saw on baseball tonight that the % of sliders he throws for a strike has fallen from somewhere around 60% in 2004 to 30% now. The book is out: you can lay off Lidge's slider and wait for the fastball. And for some reason, they're picking up the fastball now (whereas before they were all but indistinguishable coming out of his hand).

heyzeus wrote:Someday it will be proven that there's something mechanical at work here - either arm trouble that isn't being addressed or his delivery is off and/or he 's tipping pitches.

His K rates and WHIP indicate that he should still be a great closer. But I saw on baseball tonight that the % of sliders he throws for a strike has fallen from somewhere around 60% in 2004 to 30% now. The book is out: you can lay off Lidge's slider and wait for the fastball. And for some reason, they're picking up the fastball now (whereas before they were all but indistinguishable coming out of his hand).

I wonder though if the slider strike percentage has some to do with hitters not swinging at it anymore. Meaning, it was never being thrown very accurately, but hitters aren't swinging at balls anymore. They're letting sliders go, and if it's in the zone, they tip their cap.

--P--