Ryan Madson has been anointed the closer in waiting for the Phillies for the past few seasons. He clearly has the stuff in order to close games for this team.
When Brad Lidge started to struggle earlier this year, especially after the Yankees’ series, the calls for Madson to assume the closer’s duties started to get very loud. That was very disappointing for me to hear. Brad Lidge went 48-48 last season on the way to becoming WFC and he blows a few saves and the people of this city want his head? Ridiculous. Get over it peeps, closers blow a few saves a year. We got spoiled last year with Lidge.
Since Lights Out went on the DL for a bit, Mad Dog as been the closer for the Fightins’. While he is an extremely effective setup man, he just doesn’t have the closer’s role down. Madson has struggled in the past when asked to switch roles during the season, and this is yet another example.
Madson just isn’t ready to be the closer at this point. Being a closer brings an entirely different set of responsibilities. As a setup man, he’s just being asked to hold the game. As a closer, it’s his job to finish the game. Get that penultimate out and get the win for the team in a pressure situation.
I’m not saying Madson won’t be able to be a closer in the future, just not this season. He has to go into a season knowing he’s going to close. Get that offseason and Spring Training under his belt so he knows what to expect.
I hate to be on a negative streak with regard to the posts recently, but the Phillies just haven’t done anything positive to warrant me being positive. Hopefully they come out of this funk they’ve been in at home.
On a positive note though, Frankie Rodriguez blew another save for the Mutts today.
Phils take on the Orioles tomorrow. I’ll be there. Hopefully they win.
-KK
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