Down but Not Out.....

Or...Never Give Up

Things happen in life that just plain stink. Like pitching to St. Louis' Albert Pujols in a NL playoff game in '05 and watching him whack a spectacular 4 run homer out of earth's orbit.

Pitcher Brad Lidge is a guy who has had his ups and downs....

Up: Picked 17th overall in the 1998 draft by the Houston Astros.

Down: Missed big chunks of first four seasons. Torn rotator cuff. Broken bone in his arm. Strained ribcage muscle. Bad knee.

Up: In the 2003 season was named Rookie of the Year.

Up: In 2004 was made a closer for Houston. Great season.

Up: Finished 2005 season with 2.29 ERA. High hopes into the playoffs.

Down: Pujols' homer in the playoffs. Podsednik's walk-off homer in Game 2 of World Series that ended in a sweep for Chicago. The bloom is off the rose and Houston fans start to gripe.

Down: 2006/07 seasons. ERA rising. Ends at 5.28. Loses closer job.Fans fickle. Not worth the money they say. He's lost it, they say. Regains his closer job but he's no longer the Hero. His knee is blown and needs surgery.

A NEW CHANCE: Acquired by the Philadelphis Phillies before the 2008 season.

Down: Tore the meniscus in his right knee in Feb '08, same knee he already had surgery on. Uh oh. Had more surgery to repair it.

Up: Fighting his way back. Looking good. In the first two months he played the 2008 season, he had 12 straight saves. Returned to Astro's home field and smoked 'em. Ended the regular season perfect with 41 straight saves.

Higher: Wins MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award. Finishes season with a 1.95 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 62 games.

Up, Up: His streak of saved games continued. 6 for 6 in the postseason heading into game 5 of the World Series against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. This was it.

Away!: The Phillies are playing at home and lead by one run. Top of the ninth. If they can just hold Tampa scoreless they win the world series. Lidge retires Evan Longoria on a pop fly. First out. Than Dioner Navarro singles into right field and the Rays have a man on base. Pinch-runner Fernando Perez steals second, moving into scoring position with just one out.

Lidge retires pinch-hitter Ben Zobrist on a line drive to the rightfielder. Every Philly fan's heart is in their throat. Two away. Remember, the tying run is on second.

Pinch-hitter Eric Hinske is up. Foul ball. Strike one. Check-swing. Strike two. This is it. The third pitch.
A swing and a miss!

The Phillies are the new World Champions of Baseball. First series win since 1980! Brad Lidge is on his knees on the mound, with his hands stretched heavenward.

The place went nuts!


See for yourself:





And then they started putting microphones in his face. I was watching the game and in the first sentence he spoke he thanked Jesus Christ and his teammates. I couldn't find the moment replayed on the networks or u-tube but my friend who watched the game heard it too.

Mr. Lidge had said a similar thing when he received the NL Comeback Player of the Year at the end of the penant race.

"I'm thankful ..to the Phillies for giving me an opportunity to come here, and be able to close and have confidence in me. And really thinking about it, I mean I have to thank God for the blessings I've had in my career, whether it's been ups or downs, I mean just to be able to play in the major leagues, I mean for me has always been a tremendous blessing. I also feel that I need to thank Jesus Christ for giving an example of how to never be too up or too down. To be humble when things are going good and when things aren't going good to realize it's just a game and to have perspective...

A reporter asked him for his favorite scripture and he said,
"I really like the things Jesus said. One in particular, where Jesus says, 'What good is gaining the whole world when you lose your soul to achieve it.'
That would be a paraphrase of Matthew 16:26.


So what Nana knows
is that this guy, Brad Lidge, is a good role model in a world that badly needs them.

I'm really not a baseball fan but I like redemption stories and athletes who give the glory to God.

So in his honor I am going to do my own paraphrase of a scripture--2nd Corinthians 4:8-9.

Paul the apostle knew something about forging ahead past the roadblocks of life. Here you go...

"We are toubled on every side, but haven't quit believing; we are faced with setbacks, but do not despair,
We are abandoned by fair weather friends, but not forsaken by The One who matters most; we are down, but not out!"

So never give up, kids. As it says in the Good Book, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23

Love you,
Nana