Brad Lidge

Bradley Thomas Lidge

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 5", Weight 200 lb.
• School University of Notre Dame, University of Leicester
• High School Cherry Creek High School
• Debut April 26, 2002
• Final Game June 16, 2012
• Born December 23, 1976 in Sacramento, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Twice in 2007, Brad Lidge allowed game-tying 9th-inning homers to Xavier Nady while pitching for the Houston Astros, doing so on Opening Day and again on August 24th.

In 2008, Lidge saved 48 games (41 regular season & 7 post-season) in 48 save opportunities as the Philadelphia Phillies won the 2008 World Series. He continued as the Phillies' closer in 2009 in spite of terrible results: he went 0-8, 7.21 in 67 games, but still managed to record 31 saves as manager Charlie Manuel kept giving him the ball in save situations. He recorded two more saves in the NLDS and one in the NLCS without giving up a run, but in his only presence in the World Series, he was lit up for three runs in one inning by the New York Yankees and was charged with the loss in Game 4.

Lidge opened the 2010 season on the disabled list and was activated on May 7th. He recorded his first save two days later, pitching a 1-2-3 inning in a 5-3 win over the Atlanta Braves. He then felt stiffness in his elbow before his next game, prompting fears that his return to form could be short-lived. He underwent an MRI test which was negative, but still went back on the disabled list on May 15th. He did manage to pitch 50 games, with a decent 2.96 ERA and 27 saves, erasing memories of his trying 2009 season. He did not give up a run in the postseason and saved a game in both the NLDS and NLCS. However, he was out with a strained rotator cuff in spring training of 2011 and missed the entire first half of the season, only making his debut on July 25th. He earned his first save of the year - his 100th in a Philly uniform - on August 3rd against the Colorado Rockies. He appeared in 25 games for the Phils, pitching quite well, as attested by his 1.40 ERA in 19 1/3 innings, during which he struck out 23 batters. He also made three appearances in the NLDS, not giving up any runs in his 2 innings.

Lidge signed as a free agent with the Washington Nationals for the 2012 season, but the promise he showed in the second half of the 2011 season quickly disappeared. He was never able to find his form, making only 11 appearances during which he went 0-1 with 2 saves but a 9.64 ERA. A sports hernia sidelined him from late April to the early June. When he did pitch, he have up a whopping 11 walks and 12 hits in 9 1/3 innings. On June 17th, the Nationals designated him for assignment; in his last two outings, he had given up 3 runs to the New York Yankees on June 15th, then was charged with a loss in extra innings the next day to earn his release. That turned out to be his last major league appearances. He did not pitch again the rest of the year and did not look for a new team in 2013. On August 1, 2013, he signed a one-day contract with the Phillies so that he could officially retire as a member of the team with which he had won a World Series.

He became eligible for the Hall of Fame in its 2018 election, although he did not receive a single vote. Following his retirement, he worked as a special assistant for the Phillies' front office and also hosted a show on the MLB Network radio channel, while coaching his son and daughter in baseball and softball, respectively. However, in a more unusual pursuit, he was able to pursue a passion of his for ancient Roman archaeology, making a yearly trip to Europe to work on excavation sites after completing his master's degree in ancient history and archaeology from the University of Leicester in England. He had become passionate about the topic when reading about it in his spare time on the road during his playing career.

Brad's son, C Ryan Lidge, was picked in the 20th round of the 2017 amateur draft by the New York Yankees.

Notable Achievements

• 2-time NL All-Star (2005 & 2008)
• NL Reliever of the Year Award Winner (2008)
• NL Rolaids Relief Award (2008)
• 2008 NL Comeback Player of the Year Award
• 30 Saves Seasons: 4 (2005, 2006, 2008 & 2009)
• 40 Saves Seasons: 2 (2005 & 2008)
• Won a World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008

Further Reading

• Ted Berg: "How former MLB All-Star Brad Lidge became an archaeologist", "Fort the Win!", USA Today Sports, September 27, 2018. [1]
• Eric Chesterton: "The Hall of Fame Case: Brad Lidge", "Cut4", mlb.com, January 7, 2018. [2]
• Joe Posnanski: "Isringhausen, Lidge rejuvenated careers in 'pen: Pair of closers on Hall of Fame ballot for first time", mlb.com, December 27, 2017. [3]
• Jim Sweetman: "Pitch Perfect: Reexamining Brad Lidge’s Performance in 2008 Using Win Probabilities Added and Leverage Index", in Morris Levin, ed.: From Swampoodle to South Philly: Baseball in Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley, The National Pastime, SABR, 2013, pp. 235-240.

Related Sites

• Brad Lidge at the SABR Bio Project
• Brad Lidge on mlb.com