Utley on the Big Four, his health and pressure to win
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Utley on the Big Four, his health and pressure to win
Daily News staff
Chase Utley was as surprised as you were about the Phillies' signing Cliff Leee.
“I found out probably the same time you found out," he told Fox Sports Radio. "It was pretty interesting. I read the same things you do. It was a big surprise, but I’m pretty excited about it.”
And while everyone else was trying to come up with nickname for the Big Four, Utley went with a reference to the original Fab Four.
“It’s like John, Paul, George and Ringo," he said, according to sportsradiointerviews.com. "We’ve got four guys that are unbelievable. I’ve had the opportunity to play with Cliff a few years ago and he’s a workhorse. He prepares well, works quick, makes the infielders stay on our toes. He’s a good pitcher and a good teammate.”
Here are some other thoughts from the All-Star second baseman ...
On whether this is a move because the Phillies lost to the Giants:
“It’s hard to say. When it comes to playoff baseball, there’s a reason why teams get to the playoffs and any team can beat any team at a given time. With the team we have now, I think we have a pretty good opportunity.”
On whether he was really healthy last year:
“For some reason, it has been a concern over the past few years. Obviously I had my hip injury a few years ago. I rehabbed that and got it back to the point where it feels good. I’m healthy. Obviously, playing on a daily basis, you get bumps and bruises … but it’s part of the game. … I’ve started to eat a lot healthier, more organic stuff, and my body is starting feel better.”
On if there’s more pressure to win the World Series now:
“I don’t look at it with that point. We have a team that’s obviously experienced. We have some veteran guys and some great players and a great clubhouse. I’m not too worried about the expectations. … We’re not going to try to get involved in all the media stuff.”
On if the Lee signing is a sign that the Phillies are going for it now before they miss their window of opportunity:
“I think the organization realizes that you don’t run across this group of guys very often and to put us in a position to be successful, you’ve got to give them a lot of credit. You never want this to come to a climax, you want to keep it going in the long haul and try to prolong it as long as possible. … It’s not easy to put a team together like this, so it’s pretty cool.”
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To read our previous post, click here.
Uh sorry, Ringo is not wonderful.— KINGOFZED
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
All the nicknames for the pitchers are silly. As a baseball fan, I don't feel pressure to win, which I believe is good. This is the first pro sports team I've been a fan of that is just a bunch of likable guys. I feel sorry for all people that say, "the Phillies have to win 2 WS, or they've failed". Those people can't enjoy this whole thing. Relax, the Phillies are in the mix. It is very rewarding just to see great baseball played here. Oh yeah, the WS was great a couple years ago. After all those summers with no hope. Hey Chase, maybe you feel good because you're getting some R+R, not travelling a couple times every week. Maybe with the starting pitching, the Phillies can try to mix in some youth.— road515
Trade a bag of bats to the Pirates for McCutchen. They can't stand holding onto future superstars.— Han Solo
They should have asked Utley how many extra season tickets the Lee signing meant to the team.
As for nicknames, I think it should simply be: "The Apocalypse".
— pigday31- so utley will call the 5th guy in the rotation 'the 5th beatle', i guess.. lol— zwarte piet
- Nooooo, he REALLY meant Townshend, Daltrey, Entwhistle, and Moon.— mrjarn
- Bumps and bruises for Utley would keep most of us in the emergency room for two days and in bed for a month. If you couldn't see the guy was playing hurt you had to be blind. Polanco was playing with a bone chip floating around in his elbow. Try walking around everyday with a pebble in your shoe. I thought Howard broke his ankle. I sprained an ankle and limped for two months. Now these guys are all going to come back healthy. Including Rollins. Victorino can lead off Rollins can bat 5th, a platoon or Raul batting 6th, a platoon in right batting 7th, a great bench, and we are going to score runs in bunches again. This is going to be the greatest baseball team to ever take the field in Philadelphia history. Maybe in baseball history.— Ron
If any player or team does not feel the pressure to win a WS every year, then they are in the wrong profession. And any fan that is OK with not winning a championship ("just enjoy the ride") is a loser. IMO- Talking about nicknames I sort of like "MOTOWN" because these guys are really "The Four Tops"— Pony
- As revolutionary as the Beatles were, as great a band as they were; if you're going "best" you look in the direction of Led Zep and Queen.— Pony
- How about the K Team? It works for these four starters and for most of our hitters.— eman
- Chase, as always, said what he had to say with modesty and discretion. Part of what makes him an effective leader---one who speaks quietly and plays hard---a great role model for the club....His approach so parallels that of Halladay, Lee, and Oswalt.— john newlin
I agree with Ron that these guys battled unprecedented levels of hurt last year. I'm glad to hear from Utley that he's concerned with his season-long durability and is trying to build up his body in a healthy way. I also noted earlier that Rollins's new bride is doubling as his yoga instructor and trying to limber him up. These are good signs. I think the offense is going to rebound in a big way, and I'm prepared to be pleasantly surprised by Francisco when he plays more.
