Utley shouldn't be too hard on himself
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Utley shouldn't be too hard on himself
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
Of the 14 second basemen who logged at least 400 plate appearances in the National League last season, Chase Utley finished fourth with a .344 on base percentage, fourth with a .425 slugging percentage, and tied for third with 14 stolen bases (in 14 attempts).
Get into the more esoteric stats like Wins Above Replacement and Runs Created and Utley is valued even higher.
All this in what statistically was the worst season of his career, a season that was delayed two months as he attempted to alleviate the painful tendinitis and bone bruising in his knee.
Spring is a time for optimism, so there is your foundation. Last year at this time, Utley's entire focus was trained on getting back on the field, an objective that was in doubt for most of spring training. This year, he is coming off an offseason workout routine that he adjusted with the knee condition in mind. Remember that long warning track fly ball late in Game 5 against the Cardinals? Utley admitted that, in previous seasons, the same swing might have resulted in a game-tying home run.
"I think there’s no doubt that the things I was doing didn’t allow me to strenghthen my legs," Utley said. "I don’t think that… it had any benefit from not having stronger legs, but this offseason I was able to strengthen them, maybe not quite as much as in the past, but they’re definitely stronger than they were going into last year, my goal now is to maintain that, ideally it would be nice to make them stronger, but at the same time I have to keep them loose and take it easy."
Utley finished with 11 home runs, the fewest of his career. In a 650 plate-appearance season that would still leave him with under 16 home runs.
Still, Utley isn't convinced that he must re-invent the way he approaches his at-bats. He still thinks he can be the player who hits .300 and 20-to-25 home runs in a season.
"I haven’t come to the conclusion that I need to change things," said Utley, who hit .298/.388/.523 while averaging 27 home runs and 15 steals from 2005 through 2010. "I think what I’m doing now is putting me on track to contribute like I have in the past.
"I think I can overcome this without a doubt. I have pride in how I play and the way I play and that’s not going to change."
The condition isn't going away. Utley said he has talked to plenty of players who have dealt with it. In addition to tendinitis and bone bruising, doctors diagnosed him with a condition known as chondromalacia, which causes chronic knee pain.
But with the help of various doctors and trainers, Utley developed a stretching program that helped alleviate the pain to a point where he could still perform at a high level, even if that level wasn't at its usual place in the stratosphere.
Can he definitively rule out ever needing surgery? No.
"I’m not totally convinced, but I’m not willing to take that chance at this point," he said. "I think we have something good going. I don’t see any reason to change at this point."
Heading into his 33-year-old season, Utley and manager Charlie Manuel are convinced he can still be an elite hitter. Even if he can't, he proved last season that he can still do plenty of things to help the Phillies win.
Of the 14 second BASEMEN who logged at least 400 plate appearances...
— shmu u 92- Ok, he finished 4th out of 14 in the NL. Where does that put him in the MLB? Middle of the pack?— chriszak
- How well did you do last year? — jjthree
- An awful lot of old, tired guys on this team.— hotelguy
- He might be a perfectly fine second baseman, offensively and defensively. But is he still a number 3 hitter? That's what the Phillies need.— Bartleby
- He needs to be the leadoff guy and change his approach accordingly.— blah
- Here are Utley's major league ranks last year, out of all MLB second basemen with 400+ plate appearances:
8th in OBP
10th in Slugging
8th in OPS
9th in SB
More here: http://www.thegoodphight.com/2012/2/2/2715299/chase-utley-and-50-years-of-second-basemen— schmenkman - The guy is 33, you are not going to teach him new tricks. Besides, last year was his worst year in his career. If Utley just be average in 2012, I will take that. However, Charlie do need to sit him one a while. If he has another season like last year, then I will begin to worry. That chronic knee pain doesn't sound fun at all.— penncrow19
- The problem that the Phils face is that all of their top hitters are at the age where they are showing signs of decline. I feel that once Howard is back that Pense is the logical three-hole hitter. Perhaps Utley would be better in the two-hole at that point. Noting wrong with juggling unil they see who is best suited for what. Cleanup will be the real problem until Howard's return unless Thome can play at least 3 days a week.
Or,they could become a throwback team: Get one on, move him up and get him in somehow. That takes the kind of plate discipline the Phils have not shown. That kind of team is also usually fronted by a superior base stealer which the Phils no longer have.— gotedge - I cringed when I read he still feels regular pain in the knee(s). But I'm also a little encouraged that he claims to have been able to build some leg strength. We'll have to see him play. Charlie also needs to make sure he gets some days off. The guy is a gamer so you really can never underestimate his potential, even if he's aching a bit and showing some signs of age.— s
- Other guys can call themselves the leaders of the Phils but Chase Utley is the team's heart and soul. No one plays harder than Utley - anywhere. The bad news is Utley has chronic tendonitis of the knees, but the good news is that he has learned how to live with the problem. He has learned how to use the gear shift that came with his body and back the engine down a gear or two when the knees start to ache. By his own admission, his legs are stronger this year and that alone should translate into better stats. What should also improve his numbers is the fact that the media and rest of the world won't be breathing down his neck anywhere near as much as they did last season. His life was an open book for the entire world to read from the very first day of spring training in 2011 and that put undue pressure on him. This year he'll only be another story during spring training - not THE story. This should allow him to get off to a quicker start this year and be able to sustain an improved performance.
- Even in decline, Utley is one of the better hitting 2nd basemen in the league. Unfortunately, he used to put up power numbers worthy of a 3rd basemen, which for years helped cover up the fact that the Phillies were not getting much power support from their actual 3rd basemen (Nunez, Feliz, Polanco). Unless Utley can regain his previous form when he was cranking out 30 homers, the Phils batting lineup will have two players who hit like 2nd basemen and no traditional 3rd base power hitter. For a manager like Manuel, who relies heavily on the homerun ball, that could be a problem (as it was in the playoffs last year).— scribbles
- All that Utley and all of the other "old" Phillies know how to do is win. Philly fans need to enjoy this group as long as the remain competitive. Go Phillies!!— fish1463
- Utley
Polanco
Pence
Howard
Mayberry/Brown/Nix
Victorino
Rollins
Ruiz— SilliBilli - @fish....agreed. He is the Phillies best 2nd baseman ever. I say he hit's around .290 with 20 hr's this year...they have Pence if they need to switch the 3 hole...Polly, when healthy, is the best option for the 2 hole. Chase can be a good hitter anywhere within the 1-5 holes— Big Gulps
