Long Live Utley's Bat
Chase Utley had a bat he used in batting practice for more than a year ... until it broke May 9 in San Francisco.
Long Live Utley's Bat
Todd Zolecki
Major League Baseball clubhouses open to reporters 3 1/2 hours before every game.
That means for a 7:05 p.m. game, we're in there at 3:35 p.m. It's a rarity to find Chase Utley in the clubhouse at that time. Or ever for that matter. He's always somewhere. He's getting treatment from one of the athletic trainers, if he needs it. He's studying film. He's taking extra hitting in the cage or on the field.
He's always on the move. He's never sitting around.
Utley is religious about his pregame routine.
Jim Salisbury gives Inquirer readers an excellent look at another one of Utley's routines: using the same bat for batting practice for more than a year.
The bat broke May 9 in San Francisco. Utley had just started to take BP before that night's game against the Giants, but after he broke the bat on the third pitch from pitching coach Rich Dubee he walked out of the cage and didn't hit again. He wasn't happy.
The story was supposed to run in the paper before the Phillies hit San Francisco, but it got held. So Salisbury had one simple instruction for me while I was on the road with the team: "Make sure the bat is alive."
I watched Utley carry the bat onto the field for the team's pregame stretch at AT&T Park on May 9, but being three hours behind everybody back in Philadelphia I had to run upstairs to the pressbox to write a story about Jimmy Rollins returning from the disabled list and a Phillies notebook to make deadline.
I never heard the bat break. The team then hit inside on Saturday afternoon, so I never got a peak at the bat. I simply forgot to check before Sunday's game in San Francisco. I checked after Sunday's game only to be told the bat broke. I couldn't believe it, especially because the story was supposed to run the following day.
"Tell Salisbury I'm never talking to him again," Utley kidded.
Utley talked with Salisbury later. He joked (we think) that Salisbury's face popped into his head as soon as the bat broke.
"It shows how much of a trend setter Utley is," Chris Coste said. "Now there's about three or four guys who are trying to make their bats look the same. They've got these black bats with the sweet spot worn out. Look at Dobbs' bat. And Burrell's bat."
The bat is dead, but its spirit lives on.
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Three words: Rod Freakin' Barajas.
"In the clubhouse, I loved the guys," said Barajas, a bust with the Phillies last season. "I had a good relationship with everybody. On the field, it was a different story. It's almost like you have 40,000 people rooting against you. That's not what you want."
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In the Phillies Notebook, Dennis Werth visited his stepson Jayson before last night's game.
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In The Inquirer's Sunday baseball column, Salisbury explores the possibility that Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz could retire this season and be inducted into the Hall of Fame together in 2013. Also check out Extra Bases and Succesful Transition.
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Haverford High's Mark DiFelice finally got his call to the majors after 11 years.
Was that a classic Eaton start or what? One stupid inning and we're sunk. What a killer to give up the big one to Rod Barajas. He killed the Phils when he was here, and now he kills 'em when he's gone.— bobby
BOBBY: Realistically, the most we can expect from Eaton is a quality start(6ip, 3er). What he gave us last night wasn't that far off(5ip, 4er). Plenty of blame to go around for this one. We are not going to win many games when Utley, Howard, and Burrell go 0 for 11. It would also help if Howard would catch the balls that are thrown to him. Even with all of that, Rod Freakin' Barajas, as Todd aptly calls him, is by far the most aggravating part of last night's loss. The guy had 4hr and 10rbi in 48 games for us last year. He now has 3hr and 9rbi in 22 games for Toronto. There are two things that really frost me about Barajas: 1)Why did we sign him last year? and 2) Why would anybody sign him this year? Remember Coste was very productive in 2006. The Phils appreciated him so much that they went out and signed Barajas for $2.5 mil to replace him as backup catcher. Why? The answer to these questions is that the Phils went by "the book" and decided they needed an "experienced" backup catcher. The Phils aren't the only ballclub that thinks this way. That's why a guy like Barajas can stay in the league for so long. No matter how unproductive he is for how many teams, GMs and managers still value a guy like him for his "big league experience". The Phils placed more value on Barajas' "experience" than they did on the production Coste delivered right under their noses, even though that production showed that Coste was the better player. So the Phils ended up paying $3 mil ($2.5 mil for 2007 + a $500,000 buyout for 2008) for a guy who gave us virtually nothing for half a year until Coste finally replaced him. At least it seems the Phils have learned their lesson and went with Coste all the way this year.— bski- I was at the game last night. At least Eaton wasn't as bad as Myers in his last outing. I guess that's a good thing? I'm a firm believer in bad pitching relates to bad hitting. And I guess last night confirmed that. Only 6 hits, and 3 of them were from J.Roll. I have to say, everyone loved the 3 throw-outs at the plate! And even though Chase went hitless, he had 2 of the throws to the plate. Plus that great diving catch. If we can't see good hitting, watching good defense makes being at the game worth while.— Norma
Comment removed.- Didn't Chase's *slump* start just about the same time he broke his beloved BP bat? Hmmmmm. Not that I'm superstitious or anything! LOL! Zo......who should we blame? You or Salisbury? LOL!— Norma
- About the best we can expect from Eaton is a "quality start"(6ip, 3er). Even though he still wasn't good, he wasn't too far off that(5ip, 4er). Plenty of blame to go around. We won't win very many games when Utley, Howard, and Burrell combine to go 0 for 11. Also it would be very helpful if Howard would catch the balls that are thrown to him. All that being said, the most aggravating thing for me about last night's loss was Rod Freakin' Barajas, as Todd aptly calls him. What a joke. He gives us 4hr and 10rbi in 48 games last year. He's already got 3hr and 9rbi in 22 games for Toronto. Two things really frost me about Barajas. 1) Why did we sign him last year? and 2) How does he, and many other stiffs, stay in the league? The answer to both questions is that the Phils, like most teams, go by "the book". "The book" says that you need a backup catcher with "experience", regardless of how lousy his performance actually is. The Phils valued Barajas' "big league experience" over the production Coste put up right under their noses, even though that production clearly showed that Coste is the better player. Coste was very productive in 2006. The Phils decided to reward him by sending him to AAA, signing Barajas, and installing him as the backup catcher. Barajas gave us virtually nothing in half a season and the Phils called Coste up anyway. So the Phils ended up wasting $3 million ($2.5 million for 2007 + a $500,000 buyout for 2008) for "big league experience" that was absolutely worthless.— bski
- Comment removed.
- BOBBY: Realistically, the most we can expect from Eaton is a quality start(6ip, 3er). What he gave us last night wasn't that far off(5ip, 4er). Plenty of blame to go around for this one. We are not going to win many games when Utley, Howard, and Burrell go 0 for 11. It would also help if Howard would catch the balls that are thrown to him. Even with all of that, Rod Freakin' Barajas, as Todd aptly calls him, is by far the most aggravating part of last night's loss. The guy had 4hr and 10rbi in 48 games for us last year. He now has 3hr and 9rbi in 22 games for Toronto. There are two things that really frost me about Barajas: 1)Why did we sign him last year? and 2) Why would anybody sign him this year? Remember Coste was very productive in 2006. The Phils appreciated him so much that they went out and signed Barajas for $2.5 mil to replace him as backup catcher. Why? The answer to these questions is that the Phils went by "the book" and decided they needed an "experienced" backup catcher. The Phils aren't the only ballclub that thinks this way. That's why a guy like Barajas can stay in the league for so long. No matter how unproductive he is for how many teams, GMs and managers still value a guy like him for his "big league experience". The Phils placed more value on Barajas' "experience" than they did on the production Coste delivered right under their noses, even though that production showed that Coste was the better player. So the Phils ended up paying $3 mil ($2.5 mil for 2007 + a $500,000 buyout for 2008) for a guy who gave us virtually nothing for half a year until Coste finally replaced him. At least it seems the Phils have learned their lesson and went with Coste all the way this year.— bski
- Pretty bad losing 2 of 3 to the BlueJays at home! I really thought Eaton would pitch better this year, but I dont think its gonna happen. The Phils management has to cut ties with Eaton, they cant keep him around all year. I bet they are waiting on Benson, scew that if they are. Bring up Happ or someother young arm until Benson is ready and if they guy they bring up does well, leave him up, if not, bring in Benson. Something has to be done about Eaton!!— Clinton, NJ
- Except for the HR he gave up, Durbin pitched pretty well. And has done well in other games. Give him a starting position and send Eaton or Myers to the 'pen. At least Howard had two hits. Chase an RBI double. And Pat a HR. Maybe the *slumps* are nearing an end. Here's to better hitting on the road!— Norma
- Barrajas says it all about YOU fans. He's blossoming in a civilized city where 40,000 fans are not working against you. Hamels and Howard runs as far and as fast as you can when you get the chance......— Truth
- Oh please, Truth! Do you honestly think that Philly is the only city that boos when their players s*** (insert own adjective here)? And when has anyone booed Hamels????? Apparently ESPN was discussing the possiblilty of the Phils trading your *boyfriend*, Howard. Does that mean you'll be moving to a new city?— Norma
- That stuns me that Barajas hints about "getting even". The guy hit, what, like .220? I'm sure he worked as hard as the next player, but if you're making really good money & not producing, what do you expect? How many of us get to not do their job for an entire year & not have some kind of repercussions?— yobill626
- My grandmother could hit a "slam" off of Eaton! Hey Rod, block the plate next time!— Casey
- I've said all along I hope they trade Howard, not for the Phillies sake but his own. Obviously, he's not happy here. I don't think he's a slow starter, he had a great spring training. I think he is doing pretty much what I assumed he would. Thats not purposefully tanking but a subconscious thing where his mind takes over his body as a result of being disrespected by this franchise for the last 5 yrs. Norma, no I do not have a "man crush" on Howard, I'm just a man that knows when a fellow man has been abused and mistreated.— Truth
