Phillies Notebook: Phillies reliever Madson realizes potential

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - It was spring training, and pitching coach Rich Dubee decided it was time for a chat. The Phillies had waited for years for righthander Ryan Madson to achieve the mouth-watering potential they saw in him.

But after five seasons of inconsistent play, including a strained shoulder that sidelined him for the last 2 months of 2007, Dubee pulled the 6-6 reliever aside for a chat.

"I told him he's cheating his family, cheating himself," Dubee recalled yesterday. "I said, 'You know, you've got so much upside, you aren't doing what you need to do to be the guy you should be.' I said, 'You could be the biggest piece we've got here' " . . . But, I said, 'You've got to change your ways. You've got to become more diligent about your work; you've got to become a better professional about preparation as far as looking at video and stuff.' "

Madson is finally becoming the go-to setup man the Phillies had hoped for since he became a full-time big leaguer in 2004 at age 23.

Entering last night, he had allowed only one run in 10 innings this postseason, while pitching primarily in the eighth inning. In the Phillies' 3-2 win over the Rays in Game 1 of the World Series, he retired all three batters in the eighth inning to put Brad Lidge in position to record his sixth save of the playoffs.

His velocity has frequently crept into the upper 90s, while his command has been spectacular (two walks in his final 24 1/3 innings of the regular season).

Madson didn't have a bad regular season - 4-2 with a 3.05 ERA in 82 2/3 innings - but he endured several valleys. In April, he was shut down for a few days after expressing concern about the health of his shoulder. Once he returned to the mound, he was used largely in low-leverage situations.

But as the season progressed, so did Madson. Since allowing three runs and recording no outs in a 6-4 loss to the Cubs on Aug. 28, he has been dominant, allowing only two earned runs and striking out 25 in 24 1/3 innings, through Game 1.

"I'm not doing anything different," said Madson, who will be in line for a hefty raise in arbitration after earning $1.4 million this season (he will be a free agent after 2009).

"I'm not trying any harder. I think it's just the combination of things. I'm not doing anything, just adrenaline and rest and all that combined."

But Dubee says he has seen a difference in Madson's preparation and approach to the game.