Every year, Brad Lidge makes it a point to acknowledge Oct. 29. He relives the memories. Lidge and his bullpen buddies send text messages in their group chat.
There’s always something to commemorate that special date, the day Lidge closed out Game 5 of the 2008 World Series to give the Phillies their second championship in franchise history.
This year, 16 years later, Lidge celebrated the anniversary a bit differently. He made his way back to the Philadelphia area to launch a new baseball card set featuring his likeness, partnering with artist Jordan Spector for the “Lights Out” series.
The cards feature renderings of Lidge’s memorable moments from the 2008 season in which the former Phillies right-hander successfully closed out all 48 of his save opportunities in the regular season and postseason. He was excited about how vividly the cards were able to depict his highlights.
“When I finally actually got to see the final product and see how accurately these pictures … relay that intensity and that emotion that kind of came out in that season and in that moment, I got really fired up,” Lidge said in a conversation with Phillies Nation on Tuesday via Zoom.
The card set contains autographs from Lidge and former catcher Carlos Ruiz, along with other Easter eggs and references to Philadelphia’s championship season. It also includes unique pieces of memorabilia, as Lidge provided a handful of actual game-used baseballs from 2008 to use for patches in some cards.
When Lidge would close out a game, Ruiz or another player would toss the closer the ball as a memento. After a big game, he’d write the occasion on the baseball as well. Lidge kept each one, the only exception coming when Lidge and Ruiz gifted manager Charlie Manuel the final ball from the 2008 World Series clincher. Still holding on to those baseballs in his Colorado home, it was tough for Lidge to let go. But he decided to part with a few from the National League Division Series and NL Championship Series for the cards.
“This was one of the first things and probably one of the very few things — from that season, especially — that I’ll kind of feel comfortable being able to put into something like this,” Lidge said. “But because it’s with Jordan and because of how personal it is for me and everything else, I thought this would be a pretty cool way to do this.”
Lidge said he hopes the fans can enjoy the cards and the memories that come along with them. He’s glad to have released the new set on the anniversary of the defining moment of his career as a way to continue celebrating.
“I can’t believe it’s been 16 years,” the 47-year-old said. “That just seems outrageous at this point. Makes me feel a little older. … It’s always going to be a special day.”
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