About Brad Lidge
Bradley Thomas Lidge (born December 23, 1976), nicknamed "Lights Out", is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Lidge played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 2002 to 2012. He played for the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, and Washington Nationals. Beginning his career as a relief pitcher for the Astros, Lidge became the team's closer in 2004 and rose to become one of the best in baseball, making an All-Star appearance in 2005. However, after struggles in that year's postseason and through the 2007 season, he was eventually moved out of the closer role. He was traded to the Phillies in 2008, where he returned as a closer and went a perfect 41-for-41 in save opportunities over the course of the regular season, winning the Delivery Man of the Year Award, National League (NL) Rolaids Relief Man Award, NL Comeback Player of the Year, and making another All-Star appearance. In the 2008 postseason, Lidge tied the record for most saves in a single postseason, and made the final out of the World Series for the Phillies. Injuries limited Lidge in the final four seasons of his career, eventually retiring in 2012 after a brief stint with the Nationals. He recorded 225 saves in his career. Lidge threw a four-seam fastball that consistently reached 95–97 miles per hour, as well as a hard, sharp breaking slider that ranged from 85 to 87 mph. He also had a cutter of the variation.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.