I like Brad Lidge. He's this big, steady, even-keeled person with no b.s. to him. It's been chilly and wet all day long and tonight's games (Phillies, IronPigs) are likely to be postponed. If so, Roy Halladay will pitch tomorrow. That means that instead of catching Halladay three more times before the All-Star break, I'll see him in person not at all. Boo!
One game does not make a trend but it was great to see Chase Utley yesterday looking more like himself. In the fifth, he even made a terrific take-out slide on Hanley Ramirez at second, ending up safe thanks to an Uggla error. The psychobabble about Utley was reaching sheer stupidity. Among the loonier, at least to me, theories being touted: that he had simply lost his fire, that he had lost his fire because Rollins is gone, that he had lost it because of Howard's big contract, or that his wife is pregnant (not public if the case) and he is stressed out, that he has mono, that his hip is crumbling, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. That's what's wrong with the blogosphere, sports talk radio, etc. It's pretty much amateurs floating lame ideas and intoxicating themselves and others with them.
Anytime Ryan Howard has an oppo-boppo, as he did last night, things are looking up.
Driving to Philadelphia yesterday, I heard Jesse Biddle, the Phillies' first-round draft pick, being interviewed by Mike Missanelli on radio. What a refreshing kid! Asked if he might pass on the Phillies to attend the University of Oregon, he gave an emphatic no. He was ready to sign that minute but has to wait for his high school graduation this Friday. Asked about contract negotiations, he said he was going for slot and that he and his reps had already made that clear to the team. His dream is to play pro ball and to do it with his hometown team. The kid sounded poised and grounded and very much ready to grab his chance and run with it.
