Phillies Complete Sweep; This Time By Winning

So you probably heard me lathering the airwaves with interesting, intelligent Phillies commentary last night on Sports Talk Soup’s MLB Monday show.  I started the conversation with Vito Chirco by saying that I didn’t think Roy Oswalt would play for the Phillies.  Then, by the end of the interview, I said he would.

This kind of inconsistency could be a PR disaster for TBOH and all of its subsidiaries!  I better call off work and stay by the phone all day.

What’s a “subsidiary”?

Anyway, now Yahoo! Sports is telling us that not only does Oswalt not want to play in Philadelphia–*GASP*–but they’ve got a beat on several other pitchers–Dave Bush, Paul Malholm, and, even though they said when this whole process started, they wanted someone better than him, Jeremy Guthrie.

Phillies 5, Rockies 4

I think that Brad Lidge feels the same nail-chewing fatigue as the rest of us when he enters a game.  I think he sits out there drumming his fingers on his knees in anticipation of that phone ringing.  I think his soul might tighten a bit as Mick Billimeyer puts down his binoculars to go answer it.

And I think when Brad gets on the field, interspersing home runs and walks with called strikes and fist pumps, he’s out there on edge, wondering just how in the hell this last inning is going to shape up, just like the rest of us.

I think Brad Lidge has become a spectator to the Brad Lidge Horror Review.  Showtimes are whenever there’s a save situation for the Phillies.  Like yesterday, when a 5-2 lead wasn’t enough to keep Brad from making the final inning a three act almost-tragedy.

The Big Sharkey Show equates a Lidge appearance to a near death experience, which might be a bit more accurate, except for the ones when we actually die at the end.

Which begs the question.  Why aren’t the Phillies looking at a late reliever before the deadline?  Why is all of their energy going into this death march to Oswalt, who is clearly turned off by the aggressive media and fanbase?  Is Ruben Amaro talking to people about relievers?  Why won’t he leave his secret general managing tower at the top of the hill? What is he doing up there?  Why won’t he talk to us?!  WE JUST WANT YOUR PRECIOUS, PRECIOUS SECRETS, RUBEN!

I understand the “wait and see” notion, cowardly as it is when stretched out for too long, when applied to the offense.  That’s nine guys who knew how to hit and weren’t doing it.  But why use such invigorating loyalty on a situation like the bullpen, who doesn’t really respond well to any kind of pressure.  Like the kid who would have those weird fits in elementary school right before assignments were handed out.

Sure, argue that Brad Lidge knows how to close and he’s just not doing it.  Why is his leash so long?  The offensive spat went on for an unacceptable amount of time, but it was just around two months, and they seem to be proving they can do what they’re supposed to do these days.  Brad Lidge has all of 2009 to hang his head about.  How gratifying is a hot, new, un-Guthrie starter going to be if his lead gets chomped up by Brad Lidge a few innings later?

I guess I should mention that Greg Dobbs went 2-for-4 with a double and Brian Schneider had a two run triple, just to balance out the negativity festering in this post.  I mean, we did win the game.  Since when wasn’t that enough.

What’s that?  “If Brad Lidge starts doing well, you will go back on these statements like a coward”?  Yeah, so?  This is a blog. I can do anything I want.

How about some Picks of the Pen?  Or perhaps a strongly worded tirade on HGH testing?  Look, just click it.