Ask Lidge
Got a question for Phillies closer Brad Lidge? E-mail your question to Todd Zolecki and he'll try to ask him.
Ask Lidge
Todd Zolecki
Got a question for Phillies closer Brad Lidge?
Lidge has been money so far for the Phillies. He enters tonight's game against the Nationals at 1-0 with a 0.47 ERA and 10 saves in 10 opportunities.
E-mail me at tzolecki@phillynews.com and I'll try to ask him the top 10 questions later this week. Please include your first name, initial of your last name and city and state where you live. Lidge attended Notre Dame, where he majored in marketing and economics, before the Houston Astros made him the 17th overall pick in the 1998 amateur draft. The Phillies acquired him in a Nov. 7 trade from the Astros. Again, I'll take baseball questions and questions that aren't baseball related. Take a look at last Saturday's Q&A with Jayson Werth for an example. Or take a look at Q&A's we've done with people like Chase Utley and Mike Schmidt.
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The Phillies snapped a three-game losing streak, a scoreless streak and a 0 for 20 skid with runners in scoring position in last night's 1-0 victory over the Nationals.
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Jim Salisbury talks about Charlie Manuel, Jon Lester, Davey Lopes and the bond baseball players have when they're cancer survivors.
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In the Phillies Notebook, one of the reasons the Phillies are struggling to score runs is because they have less speed than last season. So if they're not hitting home runs, they're just not scoring. Kris Benson also is going to pitch an extended spring training game tomorrow. He had been scheduled to pitch a simulated game today, but Benson wants to get going so the Phillies are letting him do just that.
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Jim Leyland sounds a little frustrated. There's no question Leyland is a fine manager, but let's be honest -- he's no miracle worker. If his players aren't performing, he can't just wave a wand and make them better. Charlie Manuel got ripped the last couple years for his moves to the bullpen. He's not getting ripped at all this year. Why? Because his bullpen is good. Imagine that.
MY BUNNY WANTS CAKE!!!— Clinton, NJ- Hi Brad, I dont really a question. Just glad you are closing for us this year. MYERS IS A BUM!!!!— Leron
- Lidge HAS been money this year! It will be interesting to see if the Phils (during the season) show him the money and lock him up for a few more years or if they let Brad get away to free agency. With the difficulty Myers is having to re-adjusting to the rotation, whether it be physical or mental, the plan may be just to allow Brett to be the closer next year. That would be a mistake! You can't have too many quality arms in the stable.— southpaw57
- Southpaw-the Phillies show no one the money!!!— Truth
- Truth, Howard's 0-7 with 4 Ks since you're predicted he'd hit .450 for the next 10 games. Let me know what month you want to start counting. PS: Does stating the obvious make me a "hater?"— John in LA
- John in LA--hate or obsessing whichever you want to call it. Does me stating that he's still getting $10,000,000 this year and at absolute minimum $6,000,000 million next year make me a truthteller? I think so.— Truth
- Who gets the first call-up, Happ or Carrasco?— Casey
- So getting the money and beating the "man" means that's a good year? The other day you predicted he was going to get 13MM next year. Truth...yeah, right. You are a joke.— jimmymack
- Truth. Please Go Away! Please...all offseason you were moaning that the Phillies need to step up and Howard was worth whatever he wanted. He's the team stud, without him we have nothing. Now you are changing you sorry little mind and stating that it doesn't matter because he will continue to get paid. Changing your story to fit whatever situation you are in does not make you a truth teller. Please go away...you add very little to the posts— imafanregardless
- Plan A is Benson. Let's hope that his simulated game tomorrow goes well. If you need to see one of the kids before Benson is ready, how about Antonio Bastardo? In 4 starts after being called up to Reading from A-ball, he's 2-1 with an ERA of 2.66, with 20Ks, 19 hits, and 8 walks in 23 innings.— southpaw57
- Actually JIMMYMACK-Zo' stated that $6,000,000 was the minimum Howard could make neaxt season and he was right. I still think the face of MLB will get a handsome raise. Furthermore JIMMYMACK, anytime you're guaranteed $16,000,000 over the next two years its not a good year its two GREAT years. It's probably $15,500,000 than you've made in your 30 yrs with the labors local(add three digits) JIMMYMACK.— Truth
- We'll see what his arbitration amount is next year if his season stays on this sorry pace. BTW, congrats on the intelligent response, on point and logically put forth. LOL. And while I don't work for the labor local, your dissing them is "classless" as you like to say. They work awfully hard for their money.— jimmymack
- Truth you are the WORST! You had a few good days there where you were actually making sense...then WHAM!!! Your right back to garbage posts...I just dont get you! I know you must be HATING Howards poor play just like the rest of us and just cant stand it!!! Your just praying he comes out of it so you can say I told you so!— Clinton, NJ
- Yeah, Clinton.....I thought Truth had turned a page, too. What WERE we thinking?! LOL!— Norma
- as the saying goes...i hope they dont 'blow their load' all in one game!— Clinton, NJ
- Like I said, Howard will still get 45+ HRs and knock in 140+. So he had an early season slump. BIG DEAL! All he has ever done is produce. He deserves every penny he gets.— Leron
- 12-0 lead for our Fightin' Phils as I write this. Howard with TWO HRS and a DOUBLE thus far! Hmmmm..........Would be toot sweet if they could give Moyer a shut out.— KarenA
- KarenA Thanks for the update. Thats GREAT news. Its a very safe assumption that with Howard stroking the cover off the ball the team will be 8-10 gms over .500 shortly.— Truth
Burrell is tired. He needs a day off or two. Has he played every game so far this year?— RAS- "Everybody hits! Woo Hoo!" Well, ALMOST everybody! LOL! Congrats Ryan!!! Keep it up! I love Moyer! He never panics and always gets out of jams.— Norma
- Moyer is da man!! Great game 2nite...except for Burrell and Worth. I think Burrell is by-polar, at least as far as his hitting goes. I just dont get him. I understand guys go through slumps, but he is different. Its like he can only hit during certain months or something. LERON and TRUTH, as much as ONE game may make you think Howard is back to his MVP form, give it some time before you declare him cured. And let him get over the Mendoza line first! I think the best think you can take from 2nites game as far as Howard goes, is the fact that he had 2 hits against a lefty, thats a good sign, lets start there! GO PHILS!!— Clinton, NJ
- RAS......I was thinking the same when they pulled Utley. But then they did eventually pull Burrell. Chase is finally hitting again. Pat is ice cold!— Norma
- Yeah RAS, I think he has. They do get their normal days off though, but I agree with you. He should sit and watch a game or two and maybe that'll get him back on track....or we wait and see which month he decides to start hitting in. Maybe Burrell is just a man after all! LOL— Clinton, NJ
- Hey Norma, maybe you can throw a reverse jinx on Burrell and get him hitting again. Your good at jinxing guys, so maybe you can work some magic ;-)— Clinton, NJ
- OK, Clinton, NJ! I'll try my best! LOL! I'm pretty sure Pat has sat out a game or two. A week or so ago, Harry/Wheels/Sarge mentioned that only one player had started every game. I'm kind of having a brain f***, so I'm not sure who. But I'm pretty sure it wasn't Pat. Maybe Chase? I know there's a link somewhere that shows all those #'s. I'll try to find it.— Norma
- OK, I just checked MLB.com. Tonight was the 50th game. Pat started 46, though I do think he had a PH or two. Chase has started all 50 games. 48 at 2nd. 2 at 1st.— Norma
- Great to see the bats come to life and the bullpen rested going into Houston. Hey Zo, how about some impressions of the new park in D.C? Road tripping down there end of July, what's it like?— jimmymack
- Pat definitely needs to get going again. And a great night by Howard - 50 games in. Like Clinton said: baby steps.— John in LA
- Please read the Marcus Hayes article... he had me at "hello."— John in LA
- Loved the banner on Hayes' article......"That's Howard it's done, Ryan." LOL!— Norma
