Spring is in the air, and all Major League Baseball personnel have reported to spring training. Every team has their sights on the "Holy Grail" (World Series Trophy), but only one will prevail.
The Phillies were that team last year, and they are the only ones that will be referred to as the World Champs this year. Nobody can take that from them until the last out of the 2009 World Series. Even then, the Phillies may be the first team to repeat this decade.
I am going to continue my series on the Philadelphia Phillies; this week I will be focusing on the bullpen. Last year the Phillies bullpen was one of the best in baseball. Led by Brad Lidge, they were perhaps the main reason the Phillies won the Championship.
Let's start off with Brad Lidge. Lidge was acquired by Philadelphia last offseason from the Houston Astros for Michael Bourn, Geoff Geary, and a minor leaguer.
Lidge injured his knee after throwing his first pitch in a Phillies uniform. His knee required surgery, and he missed the rest of spring training and the first week of the 2008 season.
Once Lidge returned he was perfect, saving 41 games in 41 chances. Lidge finished the year 2-0 with a 1.95 ERA to go with those 41 saves. He has a 98 mph fastball and a nasty splitter that seldom makes it into the catcher's mitt without bouncing; hitters can't pick up the pitch and flail away while striking out. Lidge had 92 strikeouts in only 69.1 innings pitched.
He has returned to form as one of the top five closers in the league.
Homegrown Ryan Madson is the eighth inning setup guy. He took his game to another level after the All-Star game, adding five mph to his fastball. Madson was finally healthy and became a dominant setup guy the last few months of the season and through the playoffs.
Lefty J.C. Romero was the seventh inning guy in manager Charlie Manuel's bullpen rotation. Romero signed with the Phillies in June 2007 after the Boston Red Sox released him. He has come to Philadelphia and has been a cornerstone of their bullpen ever since.
Romero was suspended for the first 50 games of 2009 for testing positive for a banned substance that he took in an over the counter supplement from GNC. The banned ingredient was not listed, nor was the supplement listed on the banned supplement list supplied by Major League Baseball. Romero will be missed as he serves out his suspension.
The second lefty in the pen is Scott Eyre, who was acquired in an August 2008 trade with the Cubs. Eyre is a situational lefty who was 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 14.1 innings after joining the Phillies last year. He will be counted on to replace some of the innings that J.C. Romero would normally pitch.
Chad Durbin was an integral part of the pen last year. He was counted on to bridge the gap between the starters and Romero in the seventh inning. He had the most productive year of his career, going 5-4 with a 2.87 ERA. He will continue that job in the 2009 season and may also pick up some seventh inning work in the absence of Romero.
Clay Condrey was the other pitcher in last year's bullpen. His job was to also bridge the gap until the seventh inning. He pitched well, but will be tested in 2009. The Phillies brought in some veteran pitchers to compete for the bullpen spots. Condrey may be traded or sent to the minors once Romero returns from his suspension.
Chan Ho Park wants to start, but he was a very effective reliever with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008. Park went 4-4 with a 3.40 ERA. If Park does not win the No. 5 spot in the rotation, he will be a valuable piece in the bullpen. He may still give the Phillies some spot starts if injuries occur.
The other veteran pitchers that the Phillies brought into camp that could make the team are Gary Majewski, Dave Borkowski, and Mike Koplove. They will all challenge for a spot in the pen.
In conclusion, the bullpen was a key component to last years World Series run. The bullpen will be a strong point again this season. It is unlikely that Lidge will be perfect like he was in 2008. Romero will be sorely missed for the first two months and while age will start to come into play, there is some depth that they did not have last year.
Bottom line is that the bullpen will be more than good enough for the Phillies to win their third NL East pennant in a row.
February 23, 2009
Philadelphia Phillies Bullpen Analysis
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