Charlie Manuel has been quick to support his closer, Brad Lidge, all season long, staying extremely loyal to the guy who helped get him a World Series ring in 2008. But now, it appears that even he has had enough, as seen Wednesday night, when Manuel used Ryan Madson to close out the game.
Lidge is No Longer Manuel’s First Choice
“We’ve got to win the games,” Manuel said. “The best way we’ve got to win the games now, if that includes Brad is not out there to close, then I guess that’s going to be my decision.“While this does not mean Madson is the closer the rest of the season, it does mean that Lidge is no longer Manuel’s go-to guy. And that’s a decision that has been tearing at the manager.
Manuel said that, while he remained committed to helping Lidge improve, he felt and reacted to an unfamiliar hunch Tuesday: the need to get Lidge out of the game. “We just go with how I feel,” Manuel said. “Definitely I want to be loyal to him and things like that, but at the same time, like I told him last night, winning the game is the first priority.“But the more that I sat there and the way the game went, I felt like basically I had to go take him out.” [...]
“I’ve been very loyal to him, and I’ve stuck with him. I did everything I think possible to get him going.”
Without Manuel’s full support -- and with a 7.11 ERA -- it will be tough for Lidge to earn back his job as Phillies closer this season.
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