Joe Blanton: Pardon Me, Do You Have Any Gray Poupon?
Last December, my little nephew had a speech impediment and a very specific list. A total boy and a Toy Story fan since birth, he spouted his Christmas wish as only he could: “I want a big fruck an’ Woody.” Okay, maybe that’s not funny. Maybe there’s nothing funny about the 7-4 ninth inning loss soured by a New York rally that yanked the turf out from under Citizens Bank Park. If you didn’t see it, that’s when the regular season Brad Lidge reared his ugly head like a double agent twist in a James Bond movie. I’ll admit. I didn’t see that coming. My husband calls him “Lights Gone Out” Lidge. Could be. It was definitely a dark scene. Honestly, I thought the rash would be in the Phightin’s bats, with an annoying itch in the bullpen. But even in my worst nightmares I never imagined “Two-Run Lidge” would come down with the plague. I think the problem is, 2008 was an amazing season. It had a fairy tale charm that climaxed against a Cinderella team. Like a Disney movie, everything...