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Brad Lidge, Albert Pujols's Old Nemesis, Reportedly Released By Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals reportedly release Brad Lidge. Should the St. Louis Cardinals sign him in case they have to retire Albert Pujols?

By Dan Moore
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 16: Brad Lidge #54 of the Washington Nationals walks of the field during the fourteenth inning against the New York Yankees at Nationals Park on June 16, 2012 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 16: Brad Lidge #54 of the Washington Nationals walks of the field during the fourteenth inning against the New York Yankees at Nationals Park on June 16, 2012 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Amanda Comak of the Washington Times is reporting on Twitter that the Washington Nationals have designated Brad Lidge for assignment. (via Derrick Goold.) If a small part of you doesn't want to see this story end with him the nearly perfect set-up man of the St. Louis Cardinals going into a World Series matchup with the Los Angeles Angels... well, I just don't know that we love baseball for the same reasons. Ever since "Lights Out" Lidge's first chapter was ended by Albert Pujols driving a ball so hard out of Minute Maid Park that Enron went out of business again, he and the Cardinals have been inextricably linked.

Mostly by this awesome internet meme:

And now that Pujols is gone... well, I'm not saying it should happen, since in Eduardo Sanchez the Cardinals already have their own malfunctioning Brad Lidge to deal with, but it might; the Cardinals have been having bullpen problems, and nobody's ever accused them of not loving downtrodden veteran pitchers enough.

Since returning from injury Lidge has appeared to struggle even more than usual with his control; it was masked by his excellent ERA, but in his 25 appearances with the Phillies last year Lidge still walked 13 men in 19 innings. Now he's walked 11 batters in nine innings, and the Nats have apparently had enough.