That Balls Outta Here
FanSided

Phillies Franchise History: Greatest Player to Wear Each Number

By George Stockburger

PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 09: Former Philadelphia Phillies greats, Jim Bunning, Steve Carlton and Mike Schmidt were among many on hand to honor former manager Charlie Manuel who was to be inducted to the Phillies Wall of Fame during a ceremony before the start of a game against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park on August 9, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 09: Former Philadelphia Phillies greats, Jim Bunning, Steve Carlton and Mike Schmidt were among many on hand to honor former manager Charlie Manuel who was to be inducted to the Phillies Wall of Fame during a ceremony before the start of a game against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park on August 9, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
56 of 56
Next
DENVER – APRIL 14: Starting pitcher Ryan Madson #63 of the Philadelphia Phillies delivers against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on April 14, 2006 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
DENVER – APRIL 14: Starting pitcher Ryan Madson #63 of the Philadelphia Phillies delivers against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on April 14, 2006 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /

team. 6. . . . Ryan Madson. 63

Dubbed the “Bridge to Lidge,” Ryan Madson has come a long way through the Phillies organization. A ninth-round pick out of high school in 1998, Madson arrived in the big leagues at the age of 22 and in the inaugural season of Citizen’s Bank Park, he became a fixture in the Phillies bullpen.

More from That Balls Outta Here

In his rookie year Madson went 9-3 in 52 games, one being a start, with a 2.34 ERA anda 1.130 WHIP. Two years later the organization gave him a shot at the starting rotation with 17 starts, but a 5.69 ERA proved he resided in the back-end of the bullpen.

By the 2007 season, Madson settled into the bullpen role and became a critical piece of the most successful run in franchise history. En route to a division title, Madson had a 3.05 ERA and allowed only five home runs in 2007, and his success repeated as the set-up man in 2008 with an identical ERA.

Madson working ahead of Lidge in 2008 became a deadly combination for Philadelphia, and he earned 17 holds in that role.

When Madson and Lidge pitched in the same game during the Phillies 2008 season the team went 28-6.

During the 2008 postseason, Madson had a 2.13 ERA in 11 games, 10 of which were won.

Success carried over beyond the championship for Madson with a 2.55 ERA in 2010 and 2.37 in ’11. With Lidge ailing during the 2011 season, Madson saved a career-high 32 games before departing in free agency.

Next. Ranking Every Player for the 2008 World Series. dark

Injuries kept Madson out of baseball for three whole seasons, not throwing in a game until 2015 with the Royals in their championship season. He’s since pitched for Washington and Oakland with tremendous success, and is currently on the Nationals 40-man roster with an injury.

Home/Phillies All-Time Lists