“What’s the deal” with the Houston Astros in the 9th Inning?

Posted by Sean | April 16, 2008 .

That was a Seinfeld reference…yeah. My last blog was also a reference to the Obama Girl video. I am clever.

What’s up with Astros closers? Serious business. For the last 5 years, the Astros have looked for the next Dave Smith or Billy Wagner to solidify the closer position that these two have dominated for so long. Obviously between Dave Smith and Billy Wagner there was about a four year gap of testing closers before Billy Wagner emerged as the go to guy, but it’s nothing like this. Let’s go through all of the closers the Astros have given the ball to for an extended role since the 2004 season began.

Octavio Dotel - 2004 - 2004 (middle of season)

Octavio Dotel

We traded for this guy, Roger Cedeno and some “prospect” named Kyle Kessel who doesn’t even have a wikipedia page. We traded Mike Hampton and Derek Bell. Granted we wanted to get rid of Bell, that trade was definitely sad panda material. Roger Cedeno proved to be mediocre and was gone after the 2000 season. Anyways, this guy was a pretty bad starter and couldn’t go more than like 4 innings, we made this guy the closer when Billy Wagner became injured…and he was pretty damn good. After trying to start again in 2001, the astros moved him to the bullpen and he was amazing once again, proving to be the best setup man in baseball. In 2004, he took over the closer role, and did pretty decent. Then….we traded him in the middle of the season? Cool. Granted we got Carlos Beltran, it looked pretty good, but of course Beltran left after the season, it didn’t look that great. Of course, Dotel owned himself and had to undergo Tommy John’s, which by the way is the most amazing procedure ever. He’ll never be the same pitcher he was, as most aren’t after Tommy John’s.

Brad Lidge (Amazingly Good) - mid 2004 - 2005 (Game 4, 2005 NLCS)

Brad Lidge

Wow, this guy was amazing. Taking over where Dotel left off, this guy dominated through the remainder of 2004, and had an absolutely monstrous 2005 regular season. I thought for sure we had found our new Billy the Kid, but even better. I honestly thought this guy was going to be one of the best closers ever. His stuff was so good. Going into the 2005 playoffs, I was psyched. This was our year, we’re taking it all. Leading up to game 5 of the NLCS, Lidge had saves in games 2, 3, and 4. Things were looking up, we were up 3-1 on the Cards’, and we were leading 4-2 going into the 9th. Naturally, things were locked up because Lidge was on the mound, right? Son of a….

Brad Lidge (YOU ARE SO BAD [inconsistent] WTF?) - 2005 (Game 5, 2005 NLCS) - 2007

Albert Pujols homerun off of Brad Lidge

WTF?!?!?!? Walk off home run to Albert Pujols. Whatever, it happens. No big deal, Albert Pujols is a freak of nature, it can happen to anyone. Sweet, we won the series anyway, and we’re playing the White Sox, who I thought were easily beatable in 6. Wrong again. Game 2 of the 2005 World Series, Lidge blows another save to a walk-off home run by…….Scott Podsednik? What the hell? I’ve hit more home runs than that guy. Oh well, it happens, right? Of course in game 4 you prove me wrong by giving up a run in the 8th and being awful again. Lidge’s 2006 season was mediocre, and he was replaced by Dan Wheeler in the middle of the 2007 season for sucking… At the end of the 2007 season, Lidge had recorded 19 saves in 27 opportunities. 70% save ratio is pretty sad panda for a guy that I thought was better than Billy Wagner. Whatever. We traded him to the Phillies with Eric Bruntlet for Michael Bourn and Geoff Geary.

Dan Wheeler - mid 2007 - mid 2007

Dan Wheeler

This guy was okay. Figured he could be a pretty good closer. He got replaced again by Lidge. Nothing special. We traded him to the Devil Rays (or just “Rays” now) for Ty Wigginton, who is a pretty good 3rd baseman, I guess.

José Valverde - 2008 - present

Wow, I was pretty excited when we got this guy, and if history had taught me anything, I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up. This guy was amazing for the D-backs, and he is young, so he could potentially be signed to a long deal after a couple years here, finally solidifying the closer position that we have been searching to fill for the last five years. During spring training, this guy has been awful. During the regular season, he has a 7.50 ERA in 5 games, and just blew another save against the Phillies going into the bottom of the 9th with a 3-0 lead. I really hope I start to see the D-back’s Jose Valverde, but I’m not getting my hopes up.