Video: Can Howard and Utley save the Phillies?
Video: Will Ryan Howard and Chase Utley rescue the Phillies? Matt Gelb and Bob Brookover of the Inquirer join David Murphy of the Daily News to discuss the odds of salvation in the latest episode of "That's Baseball."
Video: Can Howard and Utley save the Phillies?
Philly.com Staff
Video: Will Ryan Howard and Chase Utley rescue the Phillies? Matt Gelb and Bob Brookover of the Inquirer join David Murphy of the Daily News to discuss the odds of salvation in the latest episode of "That's Baseball."
Comments (86)
- You cured me and back then you weren't even scary.
— DUDESKINS 
Well, let's see. Utley can't play defense, a huge part of his game, and even when he is better, his knees will immediately regress once he starts playing every day. Howard has always had a hard time getting rolling, and as a big guy, if his trunk isn't right, he won't be able to hit with power. Both players are closer to 35 than 30. I'd love to see me some vintage Utley & Howard this summer, but these guys are showing all the signs of aging like beer and not like wine. Please, let me be wrong...— Bobby G- No they won't help. Their best days are long past.
Even in last few years,Ryan was and always will be a strike-out machine.Pitchers have no trouble geetin him out when they have to.
30-35 meaningless home runs a year.— Eaglejay - My head hurts reading all these comments, about as much as it hurts watching the current homestand. No one could foresee the injuries this team has had, even given the age of the players. If any other team in MLB had these injuries to this many guys and two of their core players out long term, the results would be the same. Sadly, as I have said for a long time, professional athletes who get their fame and glory or just money, don't have a reason to play up to or above their full potential anymore. Too many multi year contracts for $$$$$ millions have led to team wide lethargy. Put a lot of career minor leaguers, a few castoffs and a couple of hungry vets and you should get a winner. Just seems like every button Amaro pushed this offseason has backfired in some way. Don't see this season getting any better, and just wonder at what point Cole will break off negotiations and Doc and Lee will waive their no trade clauses? There could be a small mutiny coming soon, the seas, they are a boiling........and oh yeah....could somebody please by Billmyer a new small inconspicuous pair of binoculars?— Mark1npt
- I'm sorry but so many people have such short memories. Without the key threat which is Howard, any pitcher has no reason to pitch to anyone. Ryan Howard was 10 RBI behind the MLB leader, Matt Kemp, last year. Ryan Howard had 116 RBI. Matt Kemp 126. Eff the strikeouts. Stop with the strikeouts. Consider the threat that the opposing pitcher has to face just knowing that Howard is up at bat that inning. Come on. Consider the nature of the game. Howard is the key to this entire lineup. Change your thinking. Amaro didn't prepare for this and I'm just as p!$$ed as everyone else. It is what it is. Howard strikes out. He gets runs in. Without him we're cooked. In the line up, we have a punchers chance. Be game smarter than a Boston fan and don't look for the homerun. Be smarter than the New York fan and don't look at the averages. 116 RBI last year. Pitchers have to throw to the 3 and 5 hole hitters with Howard in the lineup. They can pitch around everyone in this lineup. Consider the game.— BudSelig_isthenext_MrBurns
- can utley play the outfield or first base?— garyp
- I agree with those who say it's the manager. He has one strength -- keeping calm. But he makes horrible game decisions. Late in the first game against the Mets -- letting Mayberry go up there swinging, and he does nothing; letting Galvis hit when he has Orr (and maybe Nix) to pinch hit, and he does nothing. There were much better choices in both cases. You have to make the moves to win the game you're playing, and he doesn't do that. It's been like that for years. Enough!— bartoron
- The clean up position in the line-up for the Phillies is on a pace to drive in 118 runs in 2012. The first base position is hitting .305/.364/.449 with an .813 OPS. That's virtually equivalent to what Howard ended up with last year, which makes two points: 1. Howard won't represent significant improvement even if he miraculously replicates last year's form and 2. for all you sabermetric cynics who are skeptical that Howard's WAR is always so low, there you go. An ordinary gang of replacement players have been able to deliver essentially the same production Howard brings you. You go through more food and with 3-or-4 guys, but far, far less money than what Amaro decided to pay Howard.— jtj10
- jtj10 - I agree. Wigginton and Nix are providing plenty of offense, and Juan Pierre is a useful addition. After the erratic start, the offense has turned out to be fine. That is not the problem. The problem is that night after night, the managing choices late in games, whether about pitching or hitting, are costing us games.— bartoron
- Hey Mactool, Nats win again!— seth169
- NO & NO. Utley and Howard can NOT save the PHILLIES. Their production was declining even before the injuries. One can only imagine how productive they will be after suffering serious injuries and getting even closer to 40 years old. It's over BOYZ................Time to start rebuilding Rube!— cleusner
- did not know germans bombed pearl harbor when did that happen? it certainly was not 1941 as for howard and utley returning they are older now and oft injured don't expect balls to land in the upper deck in right center field regularly this is not 2005-2009 deal with it.— only 9
- and on the 4th day, the Phils rested .. and did not lose ... and the omniscient warbiscuit could not gloat and tell everyone how he was proven right in his amazing prophesy that Ruben Amaro's method of acquiring a multitude of bad baseball players would indeed result in a bad baseball team becuase indeed such is the natural law— warbiscuit
- Damn it, Biscuit. I said Boo !
— zubzub - "and on the 4th day, the Phils rested .. and did not lose ... and the omniscient warbiscuit could not gloat and tell everyone how he was proven right in his amazing prophesy"
Tell us that one again about Johna and the whale, remember, where the the whale swallowed up Reuben? One of your golden oldies. Hang on brother, the wagon is on the way. Those men in the white coats, they are guardian angels. GEEEZ
— DUDESKINS
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