Tim Ellsworth

Yesterday I wrote about Houston Astros pitcher Brad Lidge, who is upset about losing his job as closer.

“I’m definitely upset about losing my role after throwing in two games, after throwing in one save situation,” Lidge told The Houston Chronicle. “Garner made the decision, and I will of course stand by it. He’s my manager, and I’ll do whatever he wants me to do. But that being said, I’m pretty ticked off about it. I guess the only thing I can do is use it as motivation.”

Compare that response to the one from Florida Marlins pitcher Jorge Julio, who was informed yesterday by Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez that he’ll be pitching setup instead of closing.

“It is best for me right now,” said Julio, who has 99 career saves.

“I need to work on my game, especially my command. I like this team, and I want to help it, not hurt it. We have a lot of games to go.”

Lidge comes off as a selfish whiner, more concerned about himself than about the welfare of his team. Julio, meanwhile, acted in a classy way and demonstrated a team-first attitude that is refreshing among professional athletes.

My opinion of Julio as a baseball player, and as a person, just went up.

UPDATE: Another story about Lidge’s demotion paints a totally different picture than the one from the Houston Chronicle. In the story on the Astros’ site, Lidge responds in an admirable way. I hope this is the more accurate of the two, and I wonder if the Chronicle’s story wasn’t sensationalized to stir up controversy.