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Don’t Work Too Hard Tom…
By J Platt on June 14th, 2008 11:11 PM |
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Tom Gordon has yet to see any action since his implosion Wednesday night in Florida, and the next time you see him he might not be paving the way for Brad Lidge.
We still love you Flash, but it might be time to take a rest. Apparently Charlie Manuel agrees.
Manuel announced yesterday that Gordon will be taking a break from the set up role.
“It’s nothing about his stuff or his arm,” Manuel said before Friday night’s game at Busch Stadium. “It’s just that we’re at a point, a month before the All-Star break, where we better start monitoring him. I don’t want to overuse him.”
This obviously doesn’t mean we’ll never see Gordon with the game on the line, but Ryan Madson and Chad Durbin will see some more action setting up while Gordon gets some rest.
Spin this anyway you want it, but I really like this move. If Manuel’s saying it’s just to save him for the rest of season and it has nothing to do with his arm, you can believe it. It makes a ton of sense. At forty, Gordon isn’t getting any younger. He’ll be needed down the stretch.
Still, I don’t buy it.
This season we’ve seen a new Charlie on the bench. Things that happened last season he’s not standing for. You don’t hustle you’re benched (Jimmy Rollins now runs out pop flies), and if you struggle in the bullpen, someone will take your place until you can get back on track (Madson hasn’t allowed a run in 12 appearences). Manuel’s take no prisoners attitude is a force behind the Phillies strong play. Just because they have a four game lead on the Marlins, and post a touchdown against the Braves and Mets isn’t reason to allow ineffectiveness. The Mets played that card last season and look where it got them.
What I don’t like is the movement of Durbin. Durbin has proven himself as a strong middle reliever and any movement of him means more Clay Condrey. Unless we’re up or down by five runs, I want no part of Condrey. It also means more Rudy Seanez. As much as I like Seanez, he’s not getting any younger (October 20th, he’ll be 40).
The best move would be to finally remove Condrey from the roster and finally find a second lefty for the bullpen. Leave Durbin and Madson where they are but move JC Romero to the set up role; a role he’s should have had since Opening Day.
There is currently one response to “Don’t Work Too Hard Tom…”
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Well unfortunately Flash made his first appearance today and blew the game. I don’t disagree with Manuel’s move here, unless it means putting Madson into more pressure situations.
He may not have given up a run in 12 innings, but that won’t last, mainly because Madson really sucks, a lot. Despite what the numbers say, I’d take Condrey over Mad Dog any day. Is that logical? No, probably not. But I can’t stand Madson and I think the Phillies should have cut him years ago, again, mainly because he sucks, a lot.
They need another lefty, no doubt about it. They should trade Madson for my 11 year old cousin. I don’t know if he’s a lefty, but he does pitch and is on his Little League All Star team. I think he would be an improvement over Madson, or Condrey, or even Gordon of the past couple games.