Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Welcom Back (Not) Chase Utley

I heard the news driving home from work last night on the Willie Randolph Report with Ed Coleman. Chase Utley was returning to the lineup for the Phils. I knew this wasn’t good.

Utley is the new Mets killer, firmly supplanting the still dangerous, but aging, Chipper Jones. I know Pat Burrell has hit a home run in like every game he’s played against the Mets in his career, but that still doesn’t compare to what Utley can do. Every time he comes to the plate, I brace myself for the damage he’s about to cause. I remember two years ago in early September when the Mets were 2 games out of the Wild Card behind Philly, Utley hit 2 home runs off Pedro and the Mets never recovered from that blow.

I am as confident in him to rip the ball as I am in Scott Blowenweis to give up runs. In other words, he’s scares me more than any other player in the National League. And it doesn’t matter who you bring in to face him, righty, lefty, he smacks the ball to all parts of the field, and with power, which is another reason why I hate when he’s hitting. There is really no way to pitch to him. With Burrell, you can at least get him to swing at some bad pitches. His home run last night was a bomb, and the double was no cheapie either. And to think, he just came off a broken hand injury. You’d think it would take a little time to get back into the swing of things. Not Utley, not against the Mets.

For me, he is my most feared hitter. Chase Utley is that good

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