The Brad Lidge Turnaround

Last season Brad Lidge was arguably the best closer in the game. Lidge was 2-0 with a 1.95 ERA in 72 games and 69.1 innings pitched being perfect in save opportunities going 41/41 during the regular season. Lidge was also perfect during the playoffs for the World Champion Phillies. Once he was handed the ball in the 9th inning (except for the All-star game) you had complete confidence the game was over. This season that isn’t exactly the case. Brad Lidge who was Mr. Automatic for the 2008 season is doing the opposite for the 2009 season. This season Lidge is 0-7 with a 7.11 ERA in 58 games so far this season. Charlie Manual is still going to Lidge even though he has blown 10 saves this season. Lidge started his career being very good in 2003 and was through the 2005 season. He started to loose it during the 2007 playoffs and lost it with that big homerun he gave up in the 2005 World Series. He was terrible in the 2006 season and then got better in 2007, but still had 8 blown saves so the Astros traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies where he dominated in 2008.
Brad Lidge’s stuff seems to have declined this season and his pitches are just not that good. He is the same pitcher he has been in previous seasons. So the question is can Brad Lidge be the good pitchers who used to be the for the 2010 season?