Utley on the Big Four, his health and pressure to win
The latest Phillies and baseball news from Philly.com.
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.”
**
To read our previous post, click here.
Comments (44)
Bring back Moyer and let him be the 5th starter. The Phab Phour can do their thing and he can chase 300 wins. That will make every game worth watching!— guru26- Chase really meant Plant, Page, Jones, Bonham— davi
- The Phils should bring back Moyer as the 5th starter. The Phab Phour can do their thing and Moyer can chase 300 wins. This way, every game will be worth watching!— guru26
- Of course the ' window ' is closing . . it closes on every team . . . the key for the Phils . . wil be to replace the aging vets like Ibanez , Lidge and maybe even Rollins . . with younger / cheaper / hopefully ' future stars ' . . that way with the expiring contracts . . they can afford to go out and add a big piece like Lee . . and continue this abit longer . . .— ingy9
- Bring back Carlton.— simplefreedom
- Simpleton . . . Carlton comes back every year . . it's called the allumni weekend . . .— ingy9
ROTATION NATION!— bboybeballin- On the seventh day, God said "Let there be light!!!"
Chase Utley said, "Say please...."— Steveo31 
They have got to hit the ball. If they do, they're going to win a lot of games. I'm confident, because I believe Howard and Utley have professional pride and must be embarrassed by their failure. The complete collapse of the offense is what cost them the last two years.— Hame of Famer- pressure is on to come up with a worthy name for these 4. History will judge the true greatness of the Philly fan in this our moment of truth.
R2C2 is not too bad....but i gotta believe there is something better. The fact that we have 4 aces begs for a poker term....but 4 aces isn't the best hand you can get anyway. A mashup of their names maybe? Professor HamLee Hallswalt? lol maybe not. The four horsemen? the four tops? four wheel drive? the armed forces? ---ok this is tough....but we have a job to do people....this is OUR time. - The Keys will be health for all the players. And Rollins, Utley, Howard starting to really concentrate on playing as if this is their prime year. For it might be and that window will close. Rollins to me is the next obvious one to be traded since Joe and Raul probably will not be. Thus perhaps in June if the Phils need some pieces......— Koons
- like to have known chase's feelings regarding our former rightfielder?— leecee
- like to have known chase's feelings regarding our former rightfielder?— leecee
- The way Utley and Rollins offense has nosedived since 2007, they need Lee just to keep in the championship picture.— jtj06
- @guru
Not only can Moyer not pitch until 2012 due to Tommy John, he stinks and isn't worth putting in this rotation. Blanton is younger and better for the same salary (though hopefully we can trade him too, though I'm guessing a large coffee and a Boston cream from Dunkin Donuts is all we're gonna get), and for what they are paid in comparison, Kendrick or Worley represent infinitely better options.— JPK512 
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.- trade howard now while you can still get a lot for him. you can get 3 young quality position players and save big on payroll. if they don't do it, it becomes the donovan mcnabb situation all over again. ryan doesn't hit the ball where it's pitched like donovan can't perform proper throwing mechanics. i don't think either one can be coached.— goofyfooterwill
- You know what is great about this whole rotaton thing? Only Hamels has pitched his team to a World Series win! He took the opportunity by the throat and did it. This is just wild! It is December, and I can't get enough Phillies. How great is that?!?— justacarpenter
- Whoever wants Moyer back is a DODO!— Bill S
- News Item: His agent has confirmed the Phillie Phanatic has agreed to play right field for the team this year. The Phanatic will be playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic before reporting to Spring Training... he will be replaced as team mascot by Joe Blanton…— stan the man too
- Obviously, Chase's numbers have been on the decline. The Phillies really need him to step it up this year.— syddan26
- The Phab Four.— chris in indy
- No one is talking about it, but, it is very likely that it may not be out of the realm of possibilities to find a way to get J.A.Haap back to the Phillies to truely make it an incredible rotation for the Phillies' starting rotation. Few people recall, but, when the Dodgers were in their peak in the 1960's, they actually had a rotation of five or six starters. Everyone recalls Koufax, Drysdale, Osteen,added to them Miller, Sutton, and Podres. Just think of the possibilities of having Halladay, Lee, Hamel, Oswalt, and Haap with a Moyer comming back from a career extending surgery! That would be incredible if the hitting can get back to where it was a year ago! Do I hear in the wind, "Break up the Phillies?"— boggie
- Chase is a tough, tough player. In fact, there is no "theory of evolution." Just a list of animals that Chase Utley allows to live.— Crystal Ball
- A lot to comment here. First I feel that Rollins and Utley will bounce back and have all-star years. Remember how Howard spent his off seasons learning how to be a real good first baseman, I think he is doing the same thing with his hitting this offseason. He can strike out 100 times as long as he hit .270, 40 hrs and 120 rbi's. Big deals are made about strikeouts, and not about the .220 hitter who grounds out 8 out of 10 times. Not signing Werth gave the Phils the cash to go get Cliff Lee, having Lee is a much better deal, replacing Werth is a lot easier than replacing Lee. I think this is going to be a banner year going all the way to and winning the world series.— jlarsen6644
- THIS JUST IN: REYES DEAL IS OFF. MLB.com and Phillies.com reporting this, meaning the Inqy and Daily News might blog it by Monday. No one's saying why but my guess is he's gone from 5-11, 240 pounds to 5-10, 280 -- and we had second thoughts. So, JC Romero, anyone? Or can we count on Bastardo to be intimidating enough against left-handed batters? It wasn't like Reyes was that good last year anyway.— eman
- I read where Reyes changed his mind on signing the contract he agreed to a couple of weeks ago. I guess he thought he might be able to get some of that Lee $$$. My opinion is who needs a left handed relief specialist that left handed hitters batted OVER .300 against.— duckman15
- How about the Phantastic four?— bgual
Our number 4 is way better than Ringo.
What do you call a guy who hangs around musicians?
A drummer.
— COskier- what guru26 said!— philasportsfan
1
Popular Posts
Classifieds:
Site Services:
Partners:
Powered By:
