Knuckle Curve » chase utley

Chase Utley Powers Phillies Past Yankees

Stephen Kersey — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:55:27 +0000

If you didn’t know Chase Utley before the start of the 2009 World Series, you know him now. The Philadelphia Phillies second baseman hit two more homers in Game 5 to power the Phillies past the New York Yankees by a final count of 8-6.

After Alex Rodriguez put the Yankees on the board first in the top of the first inning via an RBI double, Utley smashed a three-run blast in the bottom of the first inning. In the seventh inning, Utley hit a solo homer to give the Phillies a 7-2 lead.

Utley now has five homers in the World Series, which ties Reggie Jackson for the all-time World Series record. On the night, he was 2-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base, three runs and four RBIs.

Despite Utley’s power display, the Phillies had to hold their breath near the end of the contest. Rodriguez had a two-run double in the eighth inning to make the score 8-4. Later in the inning, Robinson Cano’s sac fly made it 8-5.

In the ninth, the Phillies decided to turn to Ryan Madson instead of Brad Lidge — who has given up three runs in the previous night. Madson got in a jam but got Derek Jeter to ground into a double play and then struck out Mark Teixeira to end the inning.

The World Series now heads to New York for Game 6 with the Yankees up 3-2. The Phillies are a longshot to win both in New York but as this team proved in Game 5, they still have a lot of fight left.

Chase Utley has authored a historic World Series (Image: Zuma Press)

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Lee and Utley Lead Phillies in Game 1

Stephen Kersey — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:55:06 +0000

The New York Yankees were the favorites heading into Game 1 of the 2009 World Series. However, the Philadelphia Phillies quickly showed that they are definitely for real. Behind Chase Utley’s power and Cliff Lee’s arm, the Phillies were able to win 6-1 and draw first blood in the World Series.

Lee, who the Phillies traded for during the middle of the season and quickly became the squad’s ace, was outstanding. He pitched all nine innings and didn’t give up a run until the ninth inning. When it was all said and done, Lee had given up six hits, no earned runs, no walks and struck out ten batters.

Utley hit a solo homer in the third inning to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead. In the sixth inning, Utley hit another solo shot off of C.C. Sabathia to give Philadelphia a 2-0 lead. The Phillies added two runs in the eighth and two runs in the ninth to coast to a relatively easy victory.

In Game 2 of the World Series, the Phillies will send Pedro Martinez to the mound. The Yankees will counter with A.J. Burnett. If the Phillies can take another game at Yankee Stadium, New York would be in a world of hurt. Stay tuned for a must-see Game 2 that promises to be a thriller!

The Cliff Lee trade has been gold for the Phillies (Image: Zuma Press)

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Chase Utley Hip Surgery – Out Until June?

Stephen Kersey — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:25:14 +0000

If you watched Chase Utley in the second half of the season, you probably noticed he didn’t look quite right. The Philadelphia Phillies recently admitted that Utley battled a hip injury during the second half of the season.

Utley will undergo hip surgery and he could be out until June. Although that’s considered the pessimistic view of the recovery period, the Phillies will likely make sure their starting second baseman is 100% before they put him back out on the field.

In 2008, Utley overall had a fine season. In 159 games, Utley hit .292 with 33 homers and 104 RBIs. The 33 homers were a career-high for the 29-year-old Utley. Although Utley obviously wasn’t himself during the World Series, he was able to battle the pain long enough to hit two homers.

Although unlikely, there’s a chance that Utley could be back in the lineup for opening day.

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Phillies Beat Rays – Take 2-1 Lead in World Series

Stephen Kersey — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 05:23:24 +0000

Philadelphia Phillies take the lead in the 2008 World Series.

The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays on an infield hit in the bottom on the ninth inning to win Game 3 of the 2008 World Series. With the win, the Phillies lead the Rays two games to one in the best of seven series.

With the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the ninth, Carlos Ruiz hit a slow roller to third base and the throw home was not in time. The run made it 5-4 and gave the Phillies the win.

Earlier in the game, Ruiz hit a home run in the second inning off of Matt Garza. Chase Utley and Ryan Howard also hit homers for the Phillies. 45-year-old starting pitcher Jaime Moyer went 6.1 innings in which he gave up three earned runs and struck out five.

For the Rays, BJ Upton was again the star. Upton went 2-4 with a run and an American League World Series record three stolen bases. Carl Crawford also went 2-4 for Tampa Bay and scored two runs. Garza, the starter for the Rays, struck out seven batters but gave up four earned runs in six innings.

Game 4 will be on Monday night in Philadelphia. If the Phillies can win, they will be one win away from being the champions of baseball in 2008. If the Rays win, they will tie the series at 2-2 and have two of the final three games at home. The game will start at 8PM eastern and will be shown on television on Fox.

Photo: Newscom

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Phillies Win Game 1 of 2008 World Series

Stephen Kersey — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 06:25:26 +0000

The Philadelphia Phillies left the Tampa Bay Rays baffled in Game 1.

Although the Tampa Bay Rays were favored to not only win the game but win the series, the Philadelphia Phillies were able to draw first blood in the 2008 World Series. With a 3-2 victory, the Phillies need just three more victories to be crowned the 2008 baseball champions.

The star for the Phillies on Wednesday night was starting pitcher Cole Hamels. In seven very solid innings, Hamels gave up only two earned runs while striking out five Rays. Brad Lidge notched the save to remain perfect in save opportunities this year.

At the plate, the big hit for the Phillies was provided by Chase Utley. His two-run homer in the first inning gave the Phillies a lead they would never relinquish. On the game, Utley was 2-4 with a walk.

On the other side of the diamond, the favored Rays just couldn’t get a rally going against Hamels and the Phillies bullpen. The only batter who had success was Akinori Iwamura, who was 3-4 with an RBI.

Game 2 on the World Series schedule is to be played at 8PM Eastern in Tampa Bay.

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Chase Utley Video – Utley Doesn’t Like Boos

Stephen Kersey — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 05:29:13 +0000

Check out this Chase Utley video. When being introduced for the Home Run Derby, Utley got booed by the Yankee Stadium crowd. Utley’s response to the booing is definitely classic.

Too bad he didn’t shut the Yankee Stadium crowd up with his bat in the Home Run Derby. Instead, Utley was eliminated after the first round.

Here is the Chase Utley video:

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Hottest Hitters in Baseball – Power Ranking

Stephen Kersey — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 03:39:53 +0000

1. Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves
When you are batting north of .400, you are the hottest hitter in baseball. While it’s still early in the season, Chipper is showing signs that he could make the impossible a reality. He’s currently batting .414 with 15 homers and 41 RBIs.

Can Chipper Jones hit .400?

2. Lance Berkman, Houston Astros
Lance Berkman has long had the talent to be one of the best hitters in baseball. This season, he seems to have put it all together. He’s hitting .366 with 19 homers and 57 RBIs for the Astros. If he remains hot, he could find himself in the middle of the MVP race.

3. Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
Josh Hamilton has gone from feel-good story to great baseball player. He’s surpassed all expectations and is simply having a fantastic year. He’s leading the AL in both homers and RBIs. Currently, Hamilton is batting .316 with 17 homers and 71 RBIs.

4. Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies
Chase Utley is leading the NL in both homers and RBIs, much like Hamilton in the AL. Utley has a batting average of .313 to go with 21 homers and 58 RBIs. This season, he has taken over as the best player on the very talented Phillies roster.

5. Carlos Quentin, Chicago White Sox
Outside of Hamilton, Carlos Quentin has the best power numbers in the AL. Although he is only hitting .277, he has 16 homers and 54 RBIs. He’s second in the AL in both homers and RBIs at the moment.

Photo: Newscom

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Chase Utley Video – Pregame Routine and Preparation

Stephen Kersey — Sun, 25 May 2008 00:31:56 +0000

If you watch Chase Utley of the Philadelphia Phillies hit, you’d think he’s an effortless pure hitter who could hit coming out of the womb. However, if you watch his pregame routine and preparation, you’d begin to understand the hard work Utley has put into becoming one of the best hitters in the game.

The video at the end of this entry is a must watch segment for any true baseball fan. Utley is a student of the game who uses the newest technology to prepare himself as much as possible. In the video, Utley explains how he comes to the ballpark extra early and breaks down and prepares for each pitcher on the opposing team.

Utley’s hard work has paid off with the monster season he has had so far in 2008. Currently, Utley is hitting .307 with 14 homeruns, 33 RBIs and 36 runs scored. He has been as hot as anyone in baseball so far this season (and undoubtedly the best hitting second basemen) and he looks headed to a career year at the age of 29. Utley is also an early candidate for the NL MVP.

Check out this Chase Utley Video:

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Hottest Hitting Second Basemen in 2008

Stephen Kersey — Mon, 05 May 2008 08:16:48 +0000

Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies
Chase Utley isn’t only the hottest hitting second baseman, he’s the hottest hitting player in the major leagues – period. He’s hitting .357 with 13 homers, 26 RBIs and 28 runs scored. On top of that, he has a .432 on-base percentage. The 29-year-old has arguably been the best player in baseball in 2008.

Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers
Ian Kinsler has really been hitting the ball well as of late. For the season, he has two homers, 14 RBIs, 21 runs scored and a batting average of .288. The 25-year-old is quickly becoming one of the better players at his position in the American League.

Chone Figgins, Los Angeles Angels
Although he hasn’t hit a homer or a triple yet this season, the Angels’ second baseman is hitting the ball well. Chone Figgins is hitting .306 with nine RBIs, 18 runs scored and 11 stolen bases.

Dan Uggla, Florida Marlins
Earlier in the 2008 season, Dan Uggla was struggling so much that some in Florida were wondering whether he would hold onto his starting job. Since then, however, Uggla has turned it around. On the season, he’s hitting .267 with seven homers, 19 RBIs and 18 runs.

Photo: Newscom

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If You’re Going to Be Wrong, It Should Be by Plenty

Geoff Young — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 19:56:34 +0000

Matt DiFilippo at Seamheads.com re-examines some statements (h/t Baseball Think Factory) made by the writers of Baseball Prospectus over the years that ended up a little wide of the mark. Here are a few of my favorites:

On Hanley Ramirez, before his monster rookie campaign (.292/.353/.480 at age 22) with the Florida Marlins:

There’s no indication that he is ready for the major leagues, but the Marlins are apparently going to let him try.

On Jimmy Rollins, in 2004 (three years before he won the NL MVP):

In any event, his power and speed both appear to be dissipating, and without those he won’t hold a starting job for long.

On Chase Utley, before the 2005 season (in which he hit .291/.376/.540):

Utley is not going to be a star, but second base is a thin position and his extra-base power should provide the Phillies with a competitive advantage.

On the Chicago White Sox, before 2005:

Their opportunity has passed; the constant exodus of talent will relegate this team to second-tier status.

The folks at Prospectus almost nailed this one. They were a year early, and they forgot the part about winning a World Championship. Ah, the devil is in the details…

Fun stuff here. Be sure to read the entire article over at Seamheads.com.

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