Lidge: Nationals are 'probably' most talented team I've been on
Remember the days when the bold words would come from the New York Mets. Well, the confidence is brewing among the Washington Nationals in spring training.
Lidge: Nationals are 'probably' most talented team I've been on
Daily News staff
Remember the days when the bold words would come from the New York Mets?
Well, the confidence is brewing among the Washington Nationals in spring training.
Over the weekend, manager Davey Johnson said his starting rotation "stuff-wise" is as good as the Phillies’ rotation.
In a video posted on the team’s website, former Phillies closer Brad Lidge added this to the mix: "Probably the most talented team I’ve ever been on, and I’ve been on some great teams. Very impressed with that. Very young and very exciting."
Now, you can’t blame Lidge, of course. What is he supposed to say? Maybe he is just looking to give his team a boost, be the veteran hand that shows he has faith in his young teammates.
You might recall, though, that Lidge played on the Phillies team that won the World Series in 2008.
Some other Nationals also talk about the playoffs and their prospects in the video below.
Buy Phillies tickets 
What is he smoking— 658012- Who cares.— Steve Jeltz
- Lidge will be hurt halfway through the season anyway and then he will be on the best 30 day DL he has ever been on.— davegoll
- Talk it up but all they need to do is back it up.— AvoidSundanceVacations
Well, lets make him eat his words.— ej610
Comment removed.- If I am Davey Johnson, I want my veteran players especially, to feel confident about the team especially in mid-March. And "no comment" is strongly discouraged by the team and by MLB. The Phillies Top 3 starters are better than every Washington starter, period.— tommazza
- They blew this year when they didnt pick up Jose Reyes and re-signed Rollins.— Bobphxville
- "Lights On" is obviously drunk or high when he made that ridiculous statement, the Phillies are still the best team in the NL, the Nats will have their time in 3 years, til then stop hatin' on the Phils
— SouthJerseyMike - Be careful. The Nats moved to within a game or a handful of .500 last year and they'll take another step forward this year. 85-77; 87-55; something like that. They'll be good. On the other hand, Lidge will hear echoes at his home ballpark that he never heard in Philly. Actually, he'll hear Philly cheers, no matter how hard the Nats' owners try to stop it.
— eman - Was noticing the same thing, an 11.5 change in win/loss between 2010 and 2011, and their pitching has improved significantly with a full year of Strasburg, and additions of Gio Gonzalez and Edwin Jackson. Three pitchers they didn't have for last season (okay, except for a couple games of Strasburg), and they still won the season vs. Phils 10-8.
More worried about the Nats than the Braves or the chaotic media circus the Marlins will be.
Still love Lidge for 2008, and he'll be good in a mid-relief role if they use him right.— raboo - He wears a goatee . 'nuff said— DroppedaKingDunlap
- cdk104 --your analysis is poor for simple reason that Zimmerman, Morse, Espinosa, Ramos, Bernadino, Desmond and Werth (yes Werth) are so much younger and so much more talented than just about anyone on Phils that it makes your position by position "who's better in 2012?" juvenile and irrlevanlt .. and when Hamels leaves becuase clueless rube just wasterd so much money on a closer and no-hit shortstop and a spot-starter after blowing his whole offensice budget on a seriously injured quickly sinking ist baseman that he hasnt eh monet to re-sign Cole, then Phils will be looking up at the Marlins and Nats for many many years untiul cluless rube is long outahere and exposed for the incompetent franchise-destroying rube that he is— warbiscuit
- Lidge is just a little bitter the Phils didn't want him.
H*ll, I didn't want him since 2009. He was one of the most ineffective closers on the staff once past that 2008 magic year.— fmMD - He's obviously still p'd off at the Phils.
But he's toast.— VicM
