When pressed Lidge admits that he's happier now than when he was with the Astros last year ..... but it also admitted that he was never unhappy here. LIdge still has friends on this team ....and he keeps in touch with the other Astros who were traded away during this past off-season. Afterall ... when you go through the day-to-day battles with guys ..... and even a World Series run .... you don't just all of a sudden stop talking to them because you're on a different team.

Lidge has always been a standup guy when facing the media ... whether he had a great night on the mound or a terrible night ...he's always been professional and courteous. We could all learn something from the way this guy handles himself. But he did reveal one thing,"In the past when I was struggling a little bit ... I was trying to pitch to prove that there was nothing wrong with me. Sometimes you get in that "lack of confidence" situation and you're pitching out of your game a little bit. I really learned a lot about that. That's not how you go about handling things when you're going through a rough spot. No doubt ... the change of scenery has done wonders for Lidge,Having a new start for me has given me an opportunity to wipe the slate clean."

Talking with his former manager Cecil Cooper and his former teammates ... they all wish Brad the best ....but they also want to beat him if he gets into a game. "I think we will get to him ...but I hope he's not on his game too much." Lidge has been "lights out" this season since undergoing minor knee surgery during spring tranining. He has 11 saves thus far and his ERA is an impressive .45. Cooper added,"Ya know you always wish guys well who are good guys..and Brad is a good guy. So is Brunt(former Astro Eric Bruntlett) . Hey I hope you pitch well but I hope we still get the win. I hope Brunt gets a couple of hits but I still hope we win the game. That's what you do with all these guys who are good people and these guys are good people. But you always want to beat them when the time comes."

As for what reception Lidge might receive when he goes to the mound,"I don't know ... it should be interesting. Hopefully there will be some cheers in there and we'll see what happens. I hope I get in and have a good game."

I asked Lidge if his lasting memories of Minute Maid are positive because of all the playoff success the team had when he was here ..... or if it's more negative because of the fans taking it out on him during his struggles last season? " Honestly it's a mix of both," he told me. "I've been in enough stadiums now to know that if you're doing bad you're going to get booed. If you're doing well you're going to get cheered and that's just the nature of fans. That being said .... the fans were great for me for a really long time. I'm going to remember the times I came out and the music was playing hard and everybody was standing up and getting that final out and everybody cheering. Those are the memories I'm going to have from here. Those stick out more than the other stuff."

Lidge is a class act and I for one .... am happy to see him have success.... but I do hope the Astros hitters "light him up" this week.