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Porter: Yes, Utley Deserves A Pass

By Andrew Porter

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- I, Andrew Porter, hereby give Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley a lifelong pass.

The 36-year-old second baseman is off to the worst start of his career and after an 0-4 Monday night in Atlanta, fans are noticing. In 25 games this season Utley is hitting just .103 (9-87), with 14 strikeouts, and zero doubles.

"You can't hit .103 and hit into bad luck all the time," Howard Eskin told the 94WIP Morning Show on Tuesday. "He's just not the same player. I think he's close to done. His bat is slow, he has to start early on a pitch, and off-speed stuff---when he's not looking for it, he looks horrible.

"Here's the worst part of the whole thing," Eskin continued. "As long as Ryne Sandberg keeps playing him, and he bats him number three, he's going to get 500 at-bats. 500 at-bats gets him another year on his contract with the Phillies for 15 million dollars."

I've never bashed Ryan Howard and I certainly won't criticize Chase Utley. Aging players decline, we should have been ready for this. Furthermore, how quickly we forget.

Six all-star games, five home runs in the 2009 World Series tying the all-time record, the famous "deke" to win the World Series in 2008, scoring from second base on an in-field single with Harry's call, a five-year stretch from 2005-2009 where he hit: .291, .309, .332, .292, .282 with (HR/RBI) of 28/105, 32/102, 22/103, 33/104, 31/93.

2009 World Series Game Five
PHILADELPHIA - NOVEMBER 02: Chase Utley #26 of the Philadelphia Phillies rounds first base as coach Davey Lopes greets him after hitting a home run against the New York Yankees in Game Five of the 2009 MLB World Series at Citizens Bank Park on November 2, 2009 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Yankees 8 to 6.(Photo by Rob Tringali/Sportschrome/Getty Images)

He received top-10 votes in the MVP race in three of those seasons and top-15 in all five.

Why must Philadelphia sports portray a macho-man "what-have-you-done-for-me-lately" mentality? Why can't we appreciate his legacy?

If you want to crush "The Man" for his awful April as a 36-year-old declining second baseman, fine. That's your prerogative. I won't. There aren't many Chase Utley's that come around in sports, players who stay their entire career in one city and play a lead role in breaking a championship drought.

2008 Philadelphia Phillies World Series Victory Parade
PHILADELPHIA - OCTOBER 31: Philadelphia Phillies Chase Utley, right, gestures number one and Ryan Howard shakes hands with the crowd on Broad Street in Philadelphia during a parade to celebrate winning the World Series on Friday, October 31, 2008. The Phillies defeated the Rays 4-1 to win the 2008 World Series. (Photo by Miles Kennedy/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Brian Dawkins went to Denver. Allen Iverson went to Denver, (then Detroit, Memphis, back to Philly, and to Turkey). Utley, because of the ineptitude of the Phillies' front-office is forced to rot in the city that loves him most.

It's OK, Philadelphia. It's not your fault. You don't have to boo, Utley. He's earned the free-pass.

 

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