Waiting for Utley: Maybe it is that simple
One of these days, I'm going to enroll in grad school and study pyschology or sociology and write my thesis on the phenomenon that is the city of Philadelphia's massive man crush on Chase Utley. Don't get me wrong. I have a great appreciation for the type of player that Utley is. You need only look to the diving play he made yesterday afternoon, or his slide tackle of Hanley Ramirez earlier in the week, to see some reasons why it is fun to watch him play baseball. But it is still amazing to me how a sporting public that is considered among the toughest in the country is so quick to ignore the fact that Utley, like 99 percent of baseball players, will sometimes drop into a slump. When Ryan Howard doesn't hit, it is because he swings at bad pitches out of the zone. When Jimmy Rollins doesn't hit, it is because he is impatient at the plate. When Jayson Werth doesn't hit, it is because he is swinging for a new contract. But when Utley doesn't hit, he must be hurt. I mention all of this because right now, the Phillies might be a No. 3 hitter away from getting back into an offensive groove. The player hitting behind him in the line-up, Mr. Howard, has 13 hits, six of them for extra bases, in 43 at-bats over 11 games in June. The player hitting in front of him, Placido Polanco, has 13 hits in 33 at-bats in June. Utley, meanwhile, has six hits in 38 at-bats in June, with only two of them going for extra bases. Since May 16 in Milwaukee, Utley has played 24 games, hitting 14-for-85 (.165) with four extra base hits, one of them a home run, four RBI, 11 walks and 10 strikeouts. There is a school of thought that the Phillies' line-up goes as Jimmy Rollins go. But I think history will show that Utley is of equal importance, and given the fact that Rollins has spent much of the last three-plus weeks hurt, and Utley has spent much of the three-plus weeks slumping, maybe there really is no further explanation needed for the Phillies' offensive woes. The only way that can be construed as bad news is if Utley really is hurt, which has been the theory du jour every time he has slumped over the past three years. In 2008, he really was hurt. Last season, he was banged up with a foot injury, although I don't think he was nearly as limited as he was in 2008. This year, however, there have been no indications that he isn't healthy. The fact is, Utley has gone through slumps like this before. This one is just magnified because it has happened early in the season, and thus has had a bigger impact on his overall numbers (he is hitting .256 at the moment), and because Rollins is out. In his last 31 games of last season, Utley hit .193 with eight extra base hits, two of them home runs. In his last 31 games this season, Utley is hitting .225 with eight extra base hits, two of them home runs. The difference between Utley's slump this year and his slumps in 2008 and 2009, when he might have been hampered by physical problems, is that he is making much better contact. In 111 at-bats over the last 31 games, he has struck out just 15 times, an average of once every 7.4 at-bats. In the last 31 games of last season, he struck out 21 times in 114 at-bats, an average of one every 5.4 at-bats. Over the last five months of 2008, when he battled hip problems that eventually led to surgery, Utley averaged a strikeout every 5.6 at-bats. In 2008 and 2009, there was at least a tacit acknowledgment by the Phillies that Utley's hip and foot were affecting his performance. This year, I've heard nothing about potential injuries greater than the day-to-day soreness that will plague anybody who plays as much as he does (and, for that matter, most ballplayers do). And the fact that he has still made decent contact suggests to me that his current funk is nothing more than a normal dip in production combined with an extra helping of bad luck. The good news is that Utley has been known to snap out of his slumps with a vengeance, and that there doesn't appear to be a reason why his production won't return to equillibrium, meaning he just might spend the second half of the season on a ridiculous tear. The bad news, of course, is that until he does, the Phillies are a good bet to continue to struggle to score runs.
Waiting for Utley: Maybe it is that simple
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
One of these days, I'm going to enroll in grad school and study pyschology or sociology and write my thesis on the phenomenon that is the city of Philadelphia's massive man crush on Chase Utley. Don't get me wrong. I have a great appreciation for the type of player that Utley is. You need only look to the diving play he made yesterday afternoon, or his slide tackle of Hanley Ramirez earlier in the week, to see some reasons why it is fun to watch him play baseball.
But it is still amazing to me how a sporting public that is considered among the toughest in the country is so quick to ignore the fact that Utley, like 99 percent of baseball players, will sometimes drop into a slump.
When Ryan Howard doesn't hit, it is because he swings at bad pitches out of the zone.
When Jimmy Rollins doesn't hit, it is because he is impatient at the plate.
When Jayson Werth doesn't hit, it is because he is swinging for a new contract.
But when Utley doesn't hit, he must be hurt.
I mention all of this because right now, the Phillies might be a No. 3 hitter away from getting back into an offensive groove.
The player hitting behind him in the line-up, Mr. Howard, has 13 hits, six of them for extra bases, in 43 at-bats over 11 games in June.
The player hitting in front of him, Placido Polanco, has 13 hits in 33 at-bats in June.
Utley, meanwhile, has six hits in 38 at-bats in June, with only two of them going for extra bases.
Since May 16 in Milwaukee, Utley has played 24 games, hitting 14-for-85 (.165) with four extra base hits, one of them a home run, four RBI, 11 walks and 10 strikeouts.
There is a school of thought that the Phillies' line-up goes as Jimmy Rollins go. But I think history will show that Utley is of equal importance, and given the fact that Rollins has spent much of the last three-plus weeks hurt, and Utley has spent much of the three-plus weeks slumping, maybe there really is no further explanation needed for the Phillies' offensive woes.
The only way that can be construed as bad news is if Utley really is hurt, which has been the theory du jour every time he has slumped over the past three years. In 2008, he really was hurt. Last season, he was banged up with a foot injury, although I don't think he was nearly as limited as he was in 2008.
This year, however, there have been no indications that he isn't healthy.
The fact is, Utley has gone through slumps like this before. This one is just magnified because it has happened early in the season, and thus has had a bigger impact on his overall numbers (he is hitting .256 at the moment), and because Rollins is out.
In his last 31 games of last season, Utley hit .193 with eight extra base hits, two of them home runs.
In his last 31 games this season, Utley is hitting .225 with eight extra base hits, two of them home runs.
The difference between Utley's slump this year and his slumps in 2008 and 2009, when he might have been hampered by physical problems, is that he is making much better contact. In 111 at-bats over the last 31 games, he has struck out just 15 times, an average of once every 7.4 at-bats. In the last 31 games of last season, he struck out 21 times in 114 at-bats, an average of one every 5.4 at-bats.
Over the last five months of 2008, when he battled hip problems that eventually led to surgery, Utley averaged a strikeout every 5.6 at-bats.
In 2008 and 2009, there was at least a tacit acknowledgment by the Phillies that Utley's hip and foot were affecting his performance. This year, I've heard nothing about potential injuries greater than the day-to-day soreness that will plague anybody who plays as much as he does (and, for that matter, most ballplayers do). And the fact that he has still made decent contact suggests to me that his current funk is nothing more than a normal dip in production combined with an extra helping of bad luck.
The good news is that Utley has been known to snap out of his slumps with a vengeance, and that there doesn't appear to be a reason why his production won't return to equillibrium, meaning he just might spend the second half of the season on a ridiculous tear.
The bad news, of course, is that until he does, the Phillies are a good bet to continue to struggle to score runs.
They also have a man crush on Charlie Manuel, including some members of the media.— EL Zorro- This time is seems different. Utley looks weak and is too early for that.— EL Zorro
- Sabathia seems like a fine opponent to snap out "with a vengeance" against. Utley owns him. Nice work as always David.— mwilx1
- Charlie is the man!!— PSU DEJA BLUE
- As much as I dislike the closet queen Keith Hernandez, he mentioned how Utley wasn't turning his front foot like he usually does. This ,according to Keith, is because of his hip. Supposedly, Utley will have hip problems the next few years. He will eventually get out of his slump and go back to hitting like he does.
- Can anyone tell me (I am horrible at surfing the web, especially to find stats) what the breakdown is of Ut's 1st pitches? It seems as if he takes a 1st pitch strike almost every at bat. An 89 mph, middle of the plate 1st pitch strike.— The Reddgie
Comment removed.
somebody posted the other day that he is in the process of a divorce. is this true? Personal issues could play into this as well.- Utley hit the skids once Howard got his big contract... maybe he is/was a little bitter that big guy is make 2x what he is getting paid?— dankil13
- Never thought I'd read a headline saying "Utley's struggles holding Phillies back".... and actually agree with it. If he's hurt he needs to speak up. He won't win any points by announcing in November that he's having hip surgery or something. Rollins, on the other hand, I can't say I've never heard of a player missing some 3 months with a strained muscle -- particularly when your team is enduring an offensive slump of historic proportions. Hey Jimmy, are you hurt or are you injured??
- "I have a great appreciation" Wow, I didn't know appreciation was countable.— Chewey
- Lowell, Arod, & Utley all had the same operation. Lowell is on the bench and although Arod has some respectable numbers the ny press asked him if his hip was bothering him and he blew off the question. I hope it’s not his hip. As for the divorce rumor, I heard he moved out of the city and moved to Haddonfield. He could of moved out of the city because of the flash mobs.— EarlKeese
- I HATE TO SAY IT BUT THIS MASSIVE SLUMP OF HIS COINCIDES WITH THE BINOCULAR INCIDENT ALMOST TO THE DAY. PLEASE SAY IT AIN'T SO CHASE.— Trot
The problem is Roy" Halladay" has destroyed the locker room and it has now carried onto the field. Since Washington will not do the Halladay for Strasburg deal now that they know Strasburg is 10x's the player Roy is out best bet is to send Roy to relief or find a sucker to trade him for prospects. Utleys like the rest of the team is getting tired of Halladay's Shenanigans . Everyone on the team is ready to follow the leadership and guidance of David Herndon but he has to be placed as the #1 pitcher in the rotation first. Herndon's leadership skills are off the chart not quite Kolb's level but about a couple notches down.- Comment removed.
- Utley is respected for the wy he plays the game every day and always has. If he is in a slump he is the kind of player that will get out of it, if he is hurt he neds to face it and do what is necessary. I would also think that the Phillies should have him examined if there is any chance that he is hurt, they would be protecting their investment— BobA881
- Philly fans appreciate the way he plays day in and day out. We don't cut him a break per se but he has earned his right to slump. Part of your reasoning above about why fans go after players like Howard and Werth and Jimmy more is flawed. Howard does swing at terrible pitches out of the zone and has done so for years. Jimmy isn't at the plate- esp. for a lead-off hitter. These aren't slumps. These are flaws. What's utley's hitting flaw? A slump isn't a flaw.— boredjake
- What's the "binocular incident"?
- Comment removed.
- Mostly because Utley is a good fundamental hitter so when he is not hitting its a good bet something is wrong. Unlike guys like Rollins and Howard who can be dynamic players but whose approach to an at bat very often sucks!— sandman64
- lonewolf, why do you bother? You aren't funny and you certainly aren't clever. Ever hear the saying, "those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know." You should try to follow that path...— Russ
utley gets a free pass for whatever reason. let ANYBODY else on this team struggle like he is, and that person would be called all types of bums. with that being said, i like him as a player and i respect and admire his dedication, but i dont put him on god status like so many around philly do.- Why is it that whenever Utley reaches first after a base hit, or goes from first to third on a base hit, he stands there almost bent over like he is in excruciating pain? When he swings the bat at the plate, he steps into the pitch and uses only his upper body to create power, not twisting his lower half at all! Only time will tell - if he can make it to the end of the season, and then he announces his right hip was the culprit again!— sspn09
- Comment removed.
- lonewolf, how do you type in a straight jacket?— erbower
- I'll go with injury problems for Chase. Ut's salary went from $11 million last year to $15 million this year and $15 million thru 2013. But $19 million this year is still alot of money to pay a singles hitter that Howard has become eventually by 2014, $25 million for what seems like forever after that. Most ill advised disruptive contract by management ever! Remember that grand slam Howard hit with the Phils up by 7 runs against Pittsburgh. Looks great on his personal stat sheet but the team has not been right since. His team mates know the truth which is that Howie is not "clutch" especially after what Yankee pitching did to shut him down in the World Series.— Dull
- The whole team hasnt hit since "binocular gate." Coincidence? I dont know. Also, Chase goes through slumps due to never hitting the ball the opposite way. When you are a dead pull hitter, you will run into problems at times. As far as a divorce goes, Chase should be thrilled. He'll get as much as he wants on the reg now.— gluteman
WTF is lonewolf talking about??- I do think he may be in jured and I couldn't care less about personal likes or dislikes of pro players. I love the phillies and baseball. I dont care one way or the other about the players that make the teams up. Im not a 5 year old who idolizes pro athletes like most people do. I say he's injured, not because of a man crush, but because of the way he is swinging the bat. He's real late on everything, his bat goes through the zone real slow, and he's slapping everything around like Ichiro instead of driving the ball. He just looks real slow and beat up. Chase gets more love than Howard and Werth because he does it all. Werth and Howard are dumb lumberjacks who slug their way through a season. Howards rediculous bloated contract is obscene. Nobody fears this guy and when you read opposing pitchers and managers comments on him you know he's not respected as a real hitter. Hence the reason that when utley is going ok they pitch around him because they know Howard will likely strike out. Werth isnt the allstar he's made out to be. In a hitters park he hit 30 plus homers and hit aboiut .270 last year with 99 rbi's. Thats nice and all but he's made out to be some kind of man's man hero. Utley is the real deal.— Sewellmatt
- Dull you may be the biggest idiot of all time posting on here. And that includes lonewolf. Ryan Howard singelhandedly carried this team the last 3 Septembers IN THE CLUTCH, last year's NLDS and NLCS, and will get his homeruns. Do you honestly really believe he's just going to keep hitting singles? I love you morons. If he's striking out, he's a waste. But if he's making contact and getting hits, he's still a waste. If he tried to hit home runs every time, he'd be striking out 200 times a year again. Which is it going to be? I kinda hope this slump continues cause you dummies don't deserve a winner in this town. Dumbest fans in America. They'll be there at the end— seaonasdad
- Ding ding ding, Trot. Actually, the entire team slump in general goes back to the "binoccular incident." (binoccular gate??) lol. Hate to say it but it's true.— KannonWithaK
- I hope it's just a coincidence, but it seems that ever since they got caught stealing signs, the Phils have had trouble scoring runs.— altoonaaslan
- Not a "man crush" at all. I think we just appreciate someone who plays the game the way Utley does. Here in Colorado, the Denver Post Rockies beat writer apparently dislikes him because he implied in the playoffs Utley should have told the home plate ump he fouled the ball off his foot, or the first base ump that he really was out in the 9th inning of game 4, instead of busting it on the play. I think he's hurt because, contact v strikeouts aside, I don't see that quick, compact swing much at all. When a guy of Utley's consistency starts looking like he's being fooled a lot, I have to think he's hurting some.— ijj
- Chase will snap out of it at some point. Chase is the Man!— Phillyphan26
- I'm getting really tired of Halladay's shenanigans as well. If he goes out there and eats up more innings, keeps striking guys out and winning games, I'm going to lose it. God forbid he throws another perfect game!— jonnyb0916
- "Ooh! I can't hit because I'm making only $15 million this year, and the guy hitting behind me is making $25 mil! My face has been slapped! I'll never hit for extra bases again!" Take it easy. The guy's just in a slump., pressing too hard. He's had them before. He'll have them again.— Wurm
- Anyone bringing up the "binocular Incident" go watch the movie 23 or read the book. When you make things match up they match up. Phil's have been struggling since Dic K. Maybe it was him then Wake then Dickey. The Slump is a Slump not some conspiracy over Binocular's give it up.— Phillyphan26
- Blame for the Phillies slide should be evenly distributed. While Utley has been in a total meltdown at the plate, so has Howard and Werth. When any team has their middle of the lineup totally slumping they are going to go into a losing streak. As much as Thompson is well thought of as a hitting coach, he has not been effective in helping these hitters turn things around. My feeling is that someone needs to help change the mind set of the hitters on the team. It is obvious that the hitters are fouled up mentally when they get to the plate. Some change needs to happen soon.— bradco
- The only thing that is amazing about Utley's troubles is the selfish stupidity of people like yourselves. Consider the fact that Utley hasn't changed his attitude about hitting until now. Consider the fact that the strike zone is as crazy as the umpires who change it from game to game. Consider the fact that since the phillie's success, every team in baseball has updated their book on how to pitch this lineup. Consider the fact that no matter what you do to bring good recognition to your team and city ( Ryan Howard.... All star, Homerun hitting derby, MVP, improvements on and off the field, RBIs ) the idiots will always want more. And as far as Chase Utley is concerned.....remember, he is now a MARRIED MAN ???????????????— Sidrep
- if Dobbs coiuld play defense at third, Polanco could give him a few days off at second.— dreinterests
- All the more reason to bump him up into the second slot and move Polanco down to 3. The least he can do is get on base. Polanco will drive home runs alot more efficiently for the Phils at this point. Howard will then see more fastballs if he has a runner at second base. If they pitch around him, bazinga. Baserunners for Werth. It all feeds on itself.— beegal99
- I think Utley's Clint Eastwood demeanor buys him a lot of slack, probably more slack than any player I can remember since the even-quieter, more mystical Steve Carlton. It's surpringly nice that fans don't jump on Utley, as he contributes however he can when he's not hitting. Fans should show the same support for Ryan Howard and some other veterans who are just as into the game even when they're not hitting.— frankenslade
- Have you ever noticed that when he's in the box his last warmup swing is just a microsecond before the pitch.ALSO I think baseball should ban all defensive shifts,
- trade chase utley for cliff lee. let lee play second and bat third every night.— Ryan
- I don't think I have seen a weaker excuse for Utley than blaming Ryan Howard's contract. Is Utley a man or not?— sbdons1982
- Donovanhasarealteamnow --- your a clown...that 25million to Ryan is well deserved..Utley needs rest, PERIOD.. ..your the clown..know your facts before you start jumping off the ship..RAT— phillyfanyo
- Two interesting comments ...his slump started around the time of the binocular find, and Chase getting a Divorce...the binocular thing seems a little off base. Does anyone really think that if the binoculars were being used to steal signs, that someone would not have seen this years ago? Also, with all the guys who have left the team since 2008, not one of them would rat out the team? As far as the divorce goes..didnt he just do a SPCA even with his wife? This can be looked up in public record and I have seen no proof of this.— jphil
- Charlie and Ruben well know that Utley needs to rest periodically. This is difficult since Rollins and Polanco have been out, and the subs are used to play shortstop and third. Whenever Chase sits, he follows up his rest with an impressive few games. There is clearly something physically wrong with him which he is not acknowledging. You do not go from being a lifetime .300 hitter at age 31 to batting .256 because pitchers are fooling you or because your eye-hand mysteriously disappears. Being tired at the end of a season has also been his M.O., which is why he needs to rest periodically throughout the season. Otherwise, he wears down. He plays the game HARD and it takes a toll by the end of the season - even when he doesn't play hurt and aggravate injuries, as he is now. He needs to sit. Now.— Scoop
- Lonewolf what are you talking about ? David Herndon as the #1 pitcher. What are you smokin' ?— fshldy1
- Lonewolf 10 that was the worse garbage I think Ill ever read....— Philly Phanatic
- Why some fans (and a lot of media people) refuse to acknowledge that Jimmy Rollins is the leader of this team and someone that leaves a huge void when he's gone is beyond me...I truly do not understand it. Remember back to 2006 and 2007? The Phillies had talent, but not the confidence that they could beat the Mets. What did Jimmy Rollins say before the 2007 season? "The Phillies are the team to beat in the NL East." As soon as Rollins uttered this and then backed it up by winning the National League MVP award, the team changed it's mindset and won the East at the very same time the Mets collapsed. How about game 5 of the National League Championship series last season against the Dodgers: Rollins smacked a key two-run double that gave the Phillies a dramatic 6-5 victory in Game 4. Whether it be 2007, when Rollins hit playoff home runs against the Rockies or this hit, he plays much better when everything is on the line. Said outfielder Shane Victorino: "He's the leader of this team, and that hit (2009 NLCS double) couldn't have happened to a nicer guy." Even Charlie Manuel noticed the change in attitude of his team...and my feeling (as well as that of baseball analysts) is that comes directly from Jimmy. Utley is the poster-boy of the Phillies. He's what we thought Von Hayes was going to be. Utley looks the part...A Hollywood screewriter would pick any guy named Chase, who has a very nice personality. Rollins is the real "behind the scenes" do anything to win leader of this team... make no mistake about it. When he's healthy and back in the lineup, watch this team go on another run. In the meantime, take a good long look at the Phillies without Jimmy. If you think you don't need his leadership, then you must enjoy being in 3rd place. He is the Barry Larkin of the Phillies.— 21stCentury
- lonewolf, as Yoda might say, "Clever, are you not!" Ya gotta get out of the bushes and return to the wild before they find ya and put ya to sleep!— lefty
- Yes, he gets into slumps every year, but Utley hasn't been right since he had the "flu", where he wasn't in the lineup for a couple of games. He seems to be making decent contact, but as El Zorro said, he looks weak, and the ball isn't going anywhere. He's also late on alot of fastballs that he normally would be crushing. Whatever that "flu" was, it looks like he hasn't regained his strength. The Phils need to get him thoroughly examined and find out what the hell is going on. At the least Charlie should make him sit for 2 or 3 games.— nellar
- The Phils averaged nearly nine runs a game in the four games after the "binocular incident." Their slump actually started more than a full week later (when no one was even talking about it any more). Next kooky conspiracy theory, please.— GoPhilsGo
- Dave, could you please investigate a simple fact? The fact is (and don;t make any mistakes about it, it's a fact) that Phillies stopped hitting since they were accused of stealing signs. And, apparently, it wasn't the first time they were accused of this. It could be a coincidence, but they've been slumping for a long while now. Usually, it's one player, two players. But the entire team? It smells if you asked me.— hollandpa
- Comment removed.
- there's ALWAYS an excuse for poor lil Utley
- If you look at his swing it is completely different. When utley is hitting well he has a short compact swing requiring hip and shouder explosion. That swing is gone, and my gues is that we will be hearing about another surgery in the off season.— Rays trash
- Comment removed.
- I am not afraid as I have said before why utley always gets a pass..it is because he is a white man rollins and howard are from the black race and whites and their kind have historically been biased, racist and down right EVIL towards blacks much of it because blacks are the oldest people on the planet period..deal with it bigots, blacks had the 1st civilizations on the earth and whites and their kind know this and more and can't stand it, too bad. utley needs to be moved down in the order to maybe 7th or 8th he is in a BIG slump, manuel moved rollins the best all-around player on the team down in the order and even benched him last year because of his slump. many of you racist bigoted morons even claim that because howard is making more money than utley is the reason utley is slumping..you idiots just don't have a truthful bone in your entire body, utley's avg has been dropping for the past 3 seasons he is NOT the only player on the phils who play's hard misanthropes, stop seeing your own LIES as TRUTH..doubt very seriously that you can do that.— only 9
- It's nice to actually read an article based upon analytics as opposed to dubious innuendo (i.e., unnamed scouts, sources, etc.). That said, there is no way this team is going anywhere if Utley continues to struggle, regardless if Rollins returns or not. Why not DH him in interleague to at least give him some sort of break without demoting him to lower in the order?— Steve Jeltz
- I have no IDEA what Utleys hitting slump stems from, and neither does anybody else, including HIM! But Charley could help everybody out by sitting him for a whole series someday soon. If nothing else the jarring effect of such a move might get him going again. Since it is June, and not September, there is enough time to give this move a try. Whatever works man....chicken entrails, ghostbusters, walking backwards to the plate....put a little humor into it Chase, and see if THAT freaking works!— TBear
- Hey there "only 9"....are you SURE you are that old? The way you butchered the language, screwed up the punctuation and mangled the spelling, I would swear that you are "only 6". And by the way my friend, I have scoured these posts and find none of the references even slightly bigoted....except for yours. You might want to work on that.— TBear
- Trade 'em, bench 'em, or shoot 'em: put us out of the misery— Syd
- I you might as well follow that up with the man-crush on Rollins. If the Phillies line up goes as Rollins goes, how do you explain back-to-back World Series appearances? In 2009 he was among the bottom 3 worst regular, non-pitcher, batters in baseball and the other guys weren't lead off hitters.— jtj06
- As a Phils fan, you have to appreciate what Utley brings to the table, and how well he played in the World Series last year. Having said that, I feel that Utley should be held as accountable as Rollins, Howard, Werth, Hamels, etc. In the past, when Utley was slumping, usually someone else(Rollins, Howard, Werth, Rowand, Victorino) was hot. To me, it was Thome, then Rowand,Moyer, and Rollins(and the dismissal of Lieberthal and Abreu), who helped get the Phils thinking like winners. Utley has helped immensely, but it started before him.— 76erfn
- Comment removed.
- On May 16th, in the third inning, Utley got slap tagged in the junk by Dave Bush trying to let out an infield single. He missed the next two games with "flu-like symptoms," and hasn't been the same since.— scottash
- "I dont blame Utley, When they give some clown $25 Million a year to hit singles, thats like a slap in the face to Utley.... Genius. Yea, that must be it.— pizzzmoe
- The number 3 hitter is the most important hitter in the lineup. The 3 is an RBI hitter with power. The 3 turns the lineup over. If your 3 is in a slump the team is in big trouble. Does anyone know if lonewolf 10 has mental problems? I wouldn't want to critical of the mentally handicapped.— Ron
- Comment removed.
- It's only magnified because the team is losing. As Richie Ashburn used to say, imagine how much fun he's going to have when he gets that average back up.— smfree31
- The reality is that a large proportion of public opinion is influenced by three people who have no first hand physiological knowledge. Cataldi and Eskin are wanna be athletes who posess the ability to ascertain info but not fully understand it. Peace:-)— pmorse
- didn't he get married in the off season...she stole his mojo— phillyfan19335
- Once they got caught stealing signs, he went down the tubes.— clobal
- Maybe Utley's problem is conditioning? When Griffey Jr. retired, former teammate Jeff Nelson said that Jr. was a natural athlete and didn't need to condition himself in his 20s, but once he hit his 30s he needed to work hard at staying in shape, and instead he let himself go. Utley seems frail and worn down. Maybe he needs a better conditioning program? If he's worn down 2 months into the season, something's gotta change.— phink
- Concerned about Utley/...Of course!!! And, to rub salt in our wounds now Burrell is back in the NL and he is hitting! I don't believe either of them will continue the way they are going but, it seems that's the way this year has gone.— Edae
- Lonewolf's posts get stranger by the day. What are you on, Dude?— Delaware Jim
- Lonewolf, Halladay would win every game he pitches if the Phils would give him some offense. I still keep in touch with all the people I covered the Phils with and what you are posting is nonsense.— flabird1954
- Comment removed.
- Lonewolf are you serious are jesting. Halladay's work ethic and attitude are legendary team oriented. Dude, I hope you kidding..because if you are serious that is the dumbest post I think I've ever seen on any site..— merlinknghts
- The writer makes some good points about Chase's struggles. But, unless he is truly hurt who else would you put in the 3 hole right now?— bj94109
- Wolf you are funny...— Phillyaviator37
- Comment removed.
- This is not a slump per se but a continuation of the last year except for a time earlier this season.He looks disinterested even though he plays hard and always takes the first pitch down the middle which the pitchers caught on to ,so hes always behind in the count.Ibanez is going thru the same thing an has not been an offensive factor.Werth too,who has left a ton on base. The Phils have the worse bench in the league with no power at all so resting Utley is not an option but batting him down in the lineup is. You win todays game on what a player has done in the past.They need to fac up to Utley now. Given how they have played and their weak bench it shows how bad the farm system is right now.— gardner60
- GEE Dave, I wonder where you heard this news flash? I've been saying the exact same words for a month now, and finally someone gets it. There is no disputing when Chase is hitting the ball he should be in the #3 spot, but when he sucks he needs to be moved to another spot in the order where it will be a win-win for him and the club. Does anyone think the rest of the team doesn't realize this? Not hardly. I'm not sure if it is a case of Charlie's undieing loyalty to the players, or a cleaver way devised by Charlie to keep his job. "Well the players all like him" is what we've heard over and over. Now I ask you what the heck else are they gonna say? Does anyone think they will risk riding the pine over a dumb derogatory statement? Look what happened to Moyer after his foolish outburst last yr. Although we like to blame any thing and everything on the pitching it is not at fault when you are getting beat in a weekend series 22-3. Offense should come from the top of the order and not depend on the bottom. That is what whe have right now. When the top of the order hits we win its that simple. Polanco is hitting .300, Victorino has been raising his average steadily, and Howard is not doing that bad for a cleanup hitter. So the fault lies with Werth, Utley, and a manager who has his head stuck up his hind parts.— Wally 24
Utley seems to have a bad case of Ibanezitis.— Phil Lee- i think utleys wife is doin pat the bat ;-)— uponder
- Hrmm...maybe it is the binocular thing...maybe it messed up their confidence...they could have taken it to hard, or felt they had something to prove. While it doesn't make sense that taking a pair of binoculars away affects every at bat they have, esp. at home, and while I don't believe that they are watching every pitch and only got caught once..(if you don't get it...don't think it was an every day case of sign stealing)...I do think someone like Utley...who prides himself on pay would feel that the entire world doubts his integrity..— MFPhils
- lonewolf 10, you must be on some good drugs. Your whole post is all whacked out.— AJESNFD
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
