Utley, Howard, Rollins among early arrivals
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Utley, Howard, Rollins among early arrivals
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Shortly after 11 a.m., Ryan Howard emerged from a side door at Bright House Field and stared at empty dirt.
"Where'd everybody go?" he asked.
Howard missed Tuesday's informal infield drills by about 10 minutes. Had he received the memo, he could have been standing on the same infield at the same time as Chase Utley.
In recent springs, that has not happened often.
Howard missed all of last spring following Achilles surgery and complications thereafter. Utley has not played in a Grapefruit League game since 2010 because of his chronically injured knees. But both infielders appear healthy at the start of camp this spring.
Utley spryly moved during groundball drills Tuesday. He may have been more active than at any point last spring. The Phillies monitored him closer than ever this winter. The second baseman, on the advice of his doctors and trainers, made the decision to stay busy on his knees. The downtime in recent winters apparently made it more difficult to ramp up in preparation for the season.
Howard looked in better shape than last spring, which was to be expected. After Achilles surgery in October 2011, he was restrained to a couch for two months and conditioning was a challenge.
Shortly after Howard disappeared, Jimmy Rollins completed some work on the same field. The three infielders are here well in advance of Friday's mandatory report date for position players.
The real tests, of course, are beyond taking grounders on a half field in February.
Have a question? Send it to Matt Gelb's Mailbag.
PPPPlease stay healthy!— Phillycb21- Just because the papers and other team's fans like to spread the doom and gloom doesn't mean you have to buy into it. Howard is the best RBI man in the NL, Rollins is the best all around SS in the game. Utley is just a ballplayer, you want guys like that on your side, M. Young is like that, too. If this team get some pitching, they will win another title, this year or next. Mid-thirties doesn't mean done, for a lot of guys, that is their prime years.— Paul SoTX
- I think this team will surprise people. But with any successful season, you need the players to step up, no major long term injuries to the starting 9, and lots, lots of luck. Even the best teams ever needed some luck, truth be told. They know the time is now and if they don't make a run this year chances are they wont be here together next year...Go Phillies!!!!!— TexasYankee
- The negative attitude of so many fans who post here amazes me and especially where they whine about the Phillies being so old up and down the lineup.
Take a closer look. Ryan Howard is only 33 years old and will be that age for the entire 2013 season. Let's see....... Babe Ruth hit 54 homers at age 33 and knocked in 142 runs while batting .323. Mike Schmidt bombed 40 out of the park and had 109 ribs at this age. Willie Mays hit 47 HRs at age 33 and the following year banged out 52 round trippers. Derek Jeter got 206 hits at age 33. Iron Man Ripken Jr. hit .315. And on and on. Joltin' Joe DiMaggio had 39 HRS and knocked in 155 while batting .320 at this "ancient" age.
So stop it. Ryan Howard has good years left. As does Chase Utley who is all of 34 years old for the entire season.
Darin Ruf becomes the next Luzinski. D. Brown gets his stroke down and shows those five tools. Revere runs everything down and steals 50 bags. Jimmy Rollins, also spry at the age of 34, becomes a leader again. The Three Aces inspire some good pitching from the end of the rotation. Adams and Pap close 'em down at the end. Charley goes out in a blaze of glory and gets a comfortable seat next to Dallas Green for the next ten years.
Go get 'em Phillies.— World - What, no season ending injuries to report yet? Let's wait until tomorrow for that.— pic man
- Those who are so exicited about this need to get a life. Seriously, nothing else to worry about in your life besides seeing those overpaid athletes who do not care one bit about you. Grow up.— trailer
- lol, trailer, I don't think you have much right to call anyone out for not having a life if you have time to make comments like that on articles you're clearly not interested it.— cloudkitt
- They can't wait to get started. They've got something to prove. Man, it would be great to see all three get off to a fast start!— altoonaaslan
- First time in three seasons Utley looks like he "may" actually be ready for openning day. Howard is "in shape" and Rollins is ready. One last question to be answered in two weeks, how is Halladay's shoulder/back? So far, much better than February 2012.— drhoffman
- @trailer, seriously? Do you need a hug?
You're missing the point, man. It's BASE-ball. Can't you hear James Earl Jones saying that word? BASE-ball!— dasher - even for those of us who don't like the way the GM went about his business again this offseason, it is always so exciting to see the players report to camp each February. I recall the Saturday afternoon broadcasts of spring training games in the late fifties and early sixties, where we'd stop what we were doing and rush to sit close to my dad's large radio for that day's game. You could almost hear the breeze blowing through the booth while By Saam and Bill Campbell were spinning early spring-training stories and kindling our hopes for the upcoming season.
Funny how it didn't dawn on us kids (or matter, I guess) that the team was basically out of the race before the first regular season game. Made no difference, baseball had returned and everything felt better.
I wonder if kids today ever have enjoyed that experience as we once did. I don't think they do and for that, I am so thankful I grew up when I did. I'll bet other posters who were kids from that era feel the same way.
As for 2013, I don't share everyone's optimism about some of the moves made this offseason but I hope I am dead wrong and the rest of you are right.
— advantasux - Refreshing! BTW - I did reply this morning to your last night in the Howard Contract thread. It didn't show and hasn't all day. Don't know what's up with the site as the post does show up in my profile. I just reposted and hope it shows soon. — vafan
- was that the reply where you said if you had to sit next to me at CBP, you'd jump off the roof?
I didn't get that, but I understand you don't like the incessant negative feelings I have written about the moves made by the GM the past two offseasons.
Despite all I write, my blood boils for the Phils as much as anyone else on this site and it has for the 55 years since I saw my first game. I'll dream about them this spring as I always do, and I'll dream about how much my dad loved them. I'll remember the Phillies-themed eulogy I delivered for him in '08 (he passed a few weeks before the World Series). I'll root as hard as I always do this spring into summer and I'll hope Chase and Doc and Ryan Howard and the rest have more good ball left in them.— advantasux - Hoping this shows up. My sympathies to you for your loss and I'm sorry you couldn't enjoy a twice in a lifetime moment with your Pop. — vafan
- one more thing...man, it's great to see this pic of Chase fielding grounders. I dread the day when he's not with the team.— advantasux
