High-Pressure Pitchers
One thing about Manuel’s 2008 bullpen was that he could send out any of his relievers at any point in the game. Six relievers recorded a save last season, and five are back this season.
Obviously, the key pitchers for pressure situations are Lidge, Madson, and Romero. Madson and Romero had both proved in recent years that pressure wasn’t an issue.
Lidge however, came into last season as a major risk. Since giving up a crushing home run to Albert Pujols in the 2005 NLCS, Lidge hadn't been the same pitcher. But, last year, Lidge responded with the best season of his career.
The Phillies hope that Durbin, Condrey, and Eyre can continue to fill in for the big three effortlessly. But that would just be a bonus at this point.
A Lot to Prove
There are few in this bullpen with anything to prove—most of that was done last year.
However, the Phillies would like to see that the 2008 performances from Condrey and Durbin were not flukes.
While neither may record the low ERAs they did in 2008, they should both continue to be solid relievers with ERAs under four.
The same goes for Eyre— though if he’s forced to face right-handers, his numbers may be a little inflated.
The player with the most to prove might be Romero. While anyone with a logical brain knows that Romero’s performance was unrelated to his positive test—even chemists and other experts agree—JC is certain to be under the scrutiny of the media and obnoxious fans from unnamed locations.
In a nutshell, there’s not much for anyone to prove—that’s what 2008 was for.
2009 Success
Many experts agree: the team that gets its bullpen together earliest has the most success. Last year was perfect proof of this, as the Phils had their pen together pretty much from Opening Day. Aside from a few small tweaks—like adding Eyre and Rudy Seanez—the bullpen fell right into place.
The biggest key to the Phillies success in 2009 is continued excellence from their bullpen. This will be determined mostly by how they fill Romero’s role through the first third of the season.
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This article, along with the rest of my articles in 2009, are dedicated to the memory of my good friend and Philadelphia Phan, Craig Anderson, who passed away on Feb. 3, 2009 from complications due to cancer. To donate to a great cause, visit www.cancer.org.
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