Welcome back Cole Hamels, is Brad Lidge next?

Hollywood Cole Hamels is back with a chance to close out a series sweep on the mound at Citizens Bank Park.

After his meteoric rise from a rookie in 2006 to the MVP of the 2008 World Series, Hamels found out how the other side felt in 2009. No matter how he did it — retooling his curveball, adding a cutter, regaining his mojo, finding Jesus, whatever — he again looks like the once and future ace of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2010.

Phew!

Going into this season, it was no secret that the team’s two biggest question marks — Hamels and closer Brad Lidge — would likely be the difference between winning a World Series and a mediocre season. One of them, Hamels, has returned to his ‘08 brilliance, while the other, Lidge, has quietly had a dominant August — after some moronic a-hole called for Charlie Manuel to demote him from the closer’s role.

(Still not sure how that got into my blog.  I swear it gets hacked more than Facebook at this point.)

Only Brad's been in the cupboard to close games for Charlie Manuel, but it's working lately. (SOURCE: AP)

To Manuel’s credit, Lidge has rewarded that faith (or desperation due to no other closing options — the Old Mother Hubbard Corollary, if you will) by turning in a dominant August, with five saves in five opportunities while allowing just two baserunners and zero runs. In fact, I would go as far as to say that he looks like an MLB closer for the first time since the ‘08 World Series. As always, they pay old Chuck a lot of money to make the smart decisions while I type out stupid knee-jerk opinions to the dozens (AND DOZENS) of Take Back readers.

So what does this all mean?

For starters, having the dominant Hamels again turns the Phillies postseason rotation into a juggernaut. Game 1 of every series will likely feature Roy Halladay and his best-in-baseball stuff. If Hamels continues to channel his ‘08 postseason self — you know, when he went 4-0 and won every postseason award that matters — Game 2 of every series favors the Fightins. Now you have Roy Oswalt pitching against another team’s number three starter in Game 3 in another matchup that favors the Phillies for most teams. Regardless of Joe Blanton’s performance in Game 4, if the Phillies don’t win two out of every three games this trio starts then something’s wrong.

If Manuel opts for a three-man rotation, I like this team’s odds even more because there are enough off-days in the postseason to legitimately pull off a three-man rotation. If you don’t think it’s possible, remember that’s the same route Yankees manager Joe Girardi took to the World Series Championship with his big three of CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Andy Pettitte.

(I will now ritualistically whip myself for giving the Yanks a compliment.)

Phillies fans like myself have been enjoying a Cole Hamels resurrection this season. (SOURCE: Reuters)

Back when Hamels was dazzling the postseason in ‘08, the team featured one of baseball’s best bullpens in Lidge, Ryan Madsen, J.C. Romero, and Chad Durbin. From September through Game 5 Part 2, Madsen and Lidge were the unhittable anchors of the team’s push to glory. Going into the ‘09 season, the bullpen was actually considered the team’s greatest strength. Funny how much can change in a year. This year we’re all finger nubs by the time Lidge comes in to close out a tight game. Luckily, our finger nails have been able to grow a bit this month — all the more nails for Eagles season! But if Lidge can keep shutting down the opposition in the ninth, the rest of the bullpen will likely fall into line and regain some of that ‘08 magic.

Now that I’ve said this, please accept my sincerest apologies if Hamels gives up six runs in tonight’s series finale against the Giants or Lidge blows his next save opportunities. As you read earlier, I’ve been wrong before. And I will be wrong again. Let’s just hope it isn’t this time with this team. If any team can be counted on with the hopes of Philly fans, it’s this collection of ballplayers in red pinstripes.

So help us complete the sweep of the Giants, will ya, Cole and Brad?

Tags: Brad Lidge, Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies