Chase Utley Is Advised by Group of Best Doctors: Update

The countdown is on to Opening Day. Expectations have never been higher in the entire 121 year history of Philadelphia professional baseball. Behind four of the top pitchers in the game in Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels and a lineup that features two former MVPs and perennial and potential All-Stars.

The Phightin’s have won four straight National League East titles. They have appeared in three straight National League Championship Series, (NLCS) winning two of them, had the best record in the entire Major Leagues last year at 97-65 and won the World Series in 2008.

The most anticipated season ever is set to begin, and Philadelphia finally has the team to beat. We are now (finally) the Yankees (WITHOUT selling our souls to the devil.)

Then why has the attitude in Philadelphia gone from excited to anxiety? Whether it is the injuries to Dominick Brown or Brad Lidge or the potential ineffectiveness of the lineup, Philly Nation’s confidence has grown into a legitimate concern.

Then there is Chase Utley, one of the most beloved Philadelphia athletes of all time. He has been battling patellar tendinitis, chondromalacia and bone inflammation in his right knee and he will begin the season on the DL. Many pundits believe that this is a smoke-screen and he will require surgery that may sideline him for the majority of the year.

Utley said on Monday, “Over the past few weeks I think we have made some progress for obviously the good and we’re going to stay on top of what we’ve been doing. So I’m optimistic at this point and we’ll continue to do what we’re doing and go from there.”

Utley said he has consulted with several doctors, and the opinions they have offered have varied. This is extremely good news for fans, as they want Utley to exhaust every possible option he has in the hope of their best player being able to be a part of what could be a historic season.

The best thing about all of this is that many of the doctors suggestions were in the best interest of Philadelphia and its fans.

Here is what the top doctors in America have suggested that Utley should do for his knee.

1. “Chase, I would recommend you have the leg amputated and play second base with a peg-leg, thus increasing your longevity and the likelihood of taking out middle-infielders on potential double play balls.”

2. “Chase, you should take some of Joe Blanton’s excess (you know) and insert it right into the knee cap to increase comfort.”

3. “Chase should borrow Carlos Ruiz’s knee-savers, because he can wear them in the field as well as at the plate. They will not only help him “save” his knees, but also may become a fashion trend in baseball.”

4. “Chase actually should play second base while sitting on a stool, as he has done in Spring Training.

5. “Chase, the Phillies should invest in a Tempurpedic mattress for you to lay on at second base during games started by Halladay, Hamels, Oswalt or Lee as they will continue to dominate as they always have. Leg elevation would be best as well.”  

The same doctor called back this morning and was reported as saying:

6. “Upon further review Chase, the mattress idea would work for Blanton as well. You should be as comfortable as possible watching balls sail over the fence.”

7. “Chase, the peg-leg idea is the way to go as it can double as a leg and a baseball bat.”

8. “Do whatever Jamie Moyer is doing.”

9. “Stop crying, Philadelphia loves warriors.”

10. “Retire and let Brian Dawkins play second base, as he has been tweeting daily about his desire  to return to Philly.”

There you have it folks, some of the best doctors in America when it comes to knees and their suggestions for how Utley’s injury should be handled.

Soon to come, Joe Blanton and two dozen donuts are rumored to be on the move to the Yankees for a danish to be named later.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Glancing with the Stars- LeBron James, Roy Halladay and the Best of the Rest

There are 13 cities in the United States that have teams from the four major sports. These are some of the biggest markets in America where the brightest stars can shine.

Which city has the best collection of stars across the four major sports? What fanbase has that special talent or personality that can draw them to watch a sport that they make not even like? This is a ranking of each of the 13 cities best players from each sport.

Each team gets two players, so every city will have eight players fighting for United States supremacy. Does your city have the biggest and best stars? How can this be judged? Here is how we’re going to try.

They will be ranked on the following scale from 1-5 with 5 being the highest:

1) Talent (Skill) + or – points will be added or subtracted based on work ethic. 

2) Success (Championships, Division/Conference titles, etc.)

3) Star appeal (Video games, magazines, fan favorite, etc.)

4) Income with endorsements (Jersey sales, TV/radio appearances, etc.)

5) Charity Work (Community service, charitable donations, etc.)

Here are the 13 U.S. cities with four major sports teams biggest stars and how they stack up.

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Philadelphia Phillies: World Series Favorites for Good Reason

This letter is intended for all players, coaches, trainers and fans of the National League, but most importantly for the Phillies Phaithful:

Dear National League,

Phillies Nation is becoming more amused by the day of your tireless efforts to spark fear into the most anticipated sports season in Philadelphia history. Whether it is the loss of Jayson “I can’t hit with RISP” Werth, Chase Utley’s knee or players being in their low-30’s (that’s a bad thing in baseball?), reports are coming out daily on why the Phillies are overrated.

Journalists, save your time and efforts.

I can understand why you have dedicated so much of your time into proclaiming why the Phillies will not win the World Series. If I had to face the rotation they had, I would be worried as well.

“The pitching is old and one of them will most certainly go on the DL.”

National League, is this really an accurate statement? The team has three pitchers who have consistently logged over 200 innings and another who is in the best shape of his life and has done so twice already.

Since when is 32-35 years old a liability in baseball? I will give you Jaime Moyer being old and frail, but Roy Halladay? Sorry, I don’t buy it.

Are we really that scared that we have to make outlandish comments such as, “one of them will get hurt?” I had to look at it from an outsider’s perspective and I realized that this must be the case. National League, think about it, in any given series, you could be facing two to four pitchers who will make it very difficult for your team to score over three runs against them.

In fact, if your team does score three or more runs, the offense will probably feel like they have done their job. Three runs against Halladay, Lee, Oswalt or Hamels is a pretty tough thing to do.

“Werth is gone and Utley will be out all year, so your offense blows.”

National League, I would like to point out that Mr. Utley is currently taking batting practice and grounders, and all eight position players on the Phillies spent time on the DL last season, with Rollins missing almost half of the season and Chase having surgery on his right thumb.

That didn’t stop the Phil’s O from having the best team batting average in the NL East (fourth in NL), the most runs scored in the NL East (second in NL) and the most home runs in the NL East (fifth in NL).

Sorry, National League, I still fail to see your point on why Phillies fans should be panicking.

“Lidge is inconsistent and the bullpen is shaky, and your starters can’t pitch complete games every time out.”

The bullpen and starting rotation had their share of injuries as well with Brad Lidge (15 day DL twice), Ryan Madson (60 day DL), Jaime Moyer (60 day DL), J.C. Romero, J.A Happ, Joe Blanton, Antonio Bastardo, Chad Durbin, Danys Baez and Scott Mathieson (all 15 day DL stints).

The Phillies still led the majors with 97 wins and had the second best team ERA in the NL East. Add a teaspoon of Roy Oswalt (Phil’s best pitcher down the stretch, who went 7-1 with a 1.74 ERA in 13 games with the Phillies) and sprinkle in former Cy Young winner Cliff Lee (Yankees fans, whose your daddy?) and I’d say Vegas is right on in naming the Phillies the favorites to win it all.

“The Braves, Red Sox, White Sox and Athletics all have starting rotations that can match up in a playoff series with Philadelphia’s.”

Again National League (and American League), I fail to see your point/reasoning/logic on that one either. None of those other rotations can boast a resume that includes 10 top five finishes in Cy Young award voting, three actual Cy Young awards, 13 All-Star selections, six 20-win seasons, three postseason MVP awards and a 20-8 postseason record.

Not even close.

“The Giants beat you guys in the NLCS and they will do it again.”

At least now, National League, we are admitting that no one in the NL East will stop the Phillies (if the Braves actually had fans, they might respond to that statement, but oh well). But I would like to point out that Pat Burrell (10 K’s in World Series) and Cody Ross (who?) played out of their minds to carry the offense through the series, and the Padres had to lose 10 consecutive games in September for you to even MAKE the playoffs.

National League, I still feel pretty confident with the Halladay vs. Burrell or Ross matchup. The Lee vs. Burrell or Ross ain’t too shabby either. Oswalt, Hamels vs….well you get the pitcher, excuse me, you get the PICTURE.

“Other teams in the NL have gotten younger while the Phillies have gotten old really quickly.”

Chase Utley does not play in spring training and all of a sudden the Phillies are old? Or is there so little to worry about that something like this gets MAGNIFIED?

National League, Wilson Valdez showed last season that he is more than capable of holding down the fort while an accomplished starter goes down. He will do the same again this season if he is needed.

A healthy, happy and motivated Jimmy Rollins has shown over his illustrious career that when the lights are brightest, his light shines the most. He is entering a contract year and will likely be looking for the last contract of his career. He (finally) has entered camp in terrific shape and will be motivated to stay on the field and produce all season long.

“The Braves have the offense, pitching and right mixture of veterans and young players to win the NL East this season.’

National League, even in the NFL, NHL and NBA, the same teams are consistently at the top. Heck, Tom Brady led a team that had a defense of nobodies to a 14-2 record. That was in the ultimate team game of football.

Baseball is the one major sport in America where one player can single-handedly dominate any given game. The Phillies have a TEAM of those type of players. There is a reason that they still led the major leagues in wins last season. A season in which they could have missed the playoffs and have had a perfectly logical explanation for why that happened.

You seemed to overlook the fact, National League, that the Phillies clubhouse would not let something like that happen. In fact, they left no doubt by flipping a seven game deficit in early July to winning the NL East by six games. There is something to be said about the chemistry and make up of this team.

Whether it is the warrior-type mentalities of Utley and Halladay, the “just get me to the plate” mentality of Ryan Howard, the “we’re the team to beat” attitude of former MVP Jimmy Rollins or the laid-back confidence of skipper Charlie Manuel, the team quite simply knows their goals and knows how to get there.

Phillies fans can still remember where they were the night the Phillies beat the Rays in 2008 and the most ridiculous parade down Broad Street that ensued. They can still picture what they were doing when they woke up on that Tuesday morning of Dec. 14 and heard that Cliff Lee spurned the Yankees (Bankees) to rejoin our beloved ballclub and give us the greatest Christmas present we ever could have dreamed of.

National League, these are the things the Philly Phaithful care about. There is a reason why Vegas picked Philadelphia as the team to beat this season. There is a reason Citizens Bank Park has sold out over 100 consecutive games. There is a reason Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Roy Halladay all CHOSE to play for Philadelphia. They are the team that gives them the best chance to win it all, something they so badly want to achieve.

Spring Training is a time of preparation for the long, grueling season ahead. A season that has not even started yet, and we are being told that it’s time to push the panic button.

I say to hell with that. Let us continue to enjoy the fact that we have the team that has won the NL East four straight seasons, and has the type of pitching rotations that the rest of Major League Baseball is drooling over.

The spotlight is on the Phillies this season and they will not disappoint, no matter what your friends try to tell you.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Carlos Ruiz Has Baby Chooch at Perfect Time

On March 2, 2011, Carlos Ruiz’s wife gave birth to his second son. Incredibly, the baby arrived nine months to the exact day of Roy Halladay’s perfect game.

Chooch has become a fan favorite amongst Philly fans because of his clutch hitting, defensive play and ability to call a game from behind the plate.

Carlos obviously thinks he has a good thing going as he named his first son Carlos Ruiz Jr. and his newest boy just Carlos Ruiz. Keep it simple, I like that.

Will Ruiz continue to name any future sons Carlos Ruiz? What will happen if he has a daughter? I guess Carlos Ruiz could work as a girl’s name? Why didn’t he name his newest boy Chooch? Couldn’t his middle-name have been Perfect?

There are far more questions than answers to this story, but I will try to give you the few answers that I have.

Here are 10 things that we can take away from this story:

1. Roy Halladay’s perfect game was arousing.

2. Chooch didn’t want a baseball or Roy Halladay’s cleats to commemorate one of the greatest pitching performances in Philadelphia history, he wanted another son.

3. Ruiz obviously thought he had more to do with the perfect game than Halladay, or the baby would have been called Roy.

4. Carlos Ruiz (the baby not the catcher) will be perfect in every way.

5. Carlos Ruiz (the baby not the catcher) will be wrapped in bubble-wrap to preserve his perfection and increase longevity.

6. Carlos Ruiz (the baby not the catcher) will be welcomed in Roy Halladay’s house at any time.

7. Roy Halladay is a little weirded out about the whole situation.

8. Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt and Cliff Lee think this is a terrific story, and they couldn’t be happier for the Ruiz family.

9. No one asked Joe Blanton what he thought.

10. If Roy Halladay pitches a perfect game in the World Series, the entire Phillie’s roster will conceive a son that night and each shall be named Carlos Ruiz. 

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Race for the Ring: Every MLB Team’s Chance of Winning It All in the Near Future

Major League Baseball is in the air. All 30 teams have flocked to a warm weather site with the same goal in mind: Win a ring.

Whether it’s veterans of the league imparting as much knowledge as they can on the young guns, or legends from the past returning to the place that they loved, spring training is a beneficial and necessary time for baseball players.

Baseball is the one major sport in America where spending of loads of money can directly impact the product that you put onto the field. There is no salary cap, just a luxury tax that a team can choose to pay if they so dare.

Quite simply, some teams are contenders while most are pretenders.

There are the teams in baseball who spend mind-numbing amounts of money to keep or acquire top-flight talent and there are many other teams (owners) who are just happy that Bud Selig is so fond of revenue sharing.

Let’s get right to it, here are each team’s chances of winning a World Series in the next three years.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Why Ruben Amaro Is Team MVP

For Philadelphia Phillies fans, February 12th cannot come soon enough; that’s when pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater, Florida.

Expectations have never been higher in the entire 121 year history of Philadelphia professional baseball. Behind four of the top pitchers in the game in Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels and a lineup that features two former MVPs and perennial and potential all-stars.

Quite simply, Philadelphia is in “Baseball Heaven.”

The Phightin’s have won four straight National League East titles. They have appeared in three straight National League Championship Series, (NLCS) winning two of them, had the best record in the entire Major Leagues last year at 97-65 and won the World Series in 2008.

The Phillies are loaded with some of the most talented, respected and highly-regarded names in all of sports.

Halladay, Lee, Oswalt, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley to name a few. Oh my!

Over the past five seasons, we have seen this team go from a solid, competitive team to a powerhouse that has been favored to come out of the National League the past three years by Vegas. 

How have they become this powerhouse? Well, the fans have been a HUGE reason why the team has been able to go out and acquire top-name talent. Others may argue that they are so successful because the core group of homegrown players have turned into top players at their respective positions.

But here is why Ruben Amaro is the MVP of the Phillies since he has taken over as general manager in 2008.

After learning under hall of famer Pat Gillick for three years as assistant GM, Amaro took over as head honcho. Since taking over as GM for the Phillies, Amaro has brought in more talent in the span of three years than any other GM in MLB.

Not only has Amaro brought in top-flight talent, he has brought in players with top-flight character.

Phillies Nation can look to a lot of players for the success of the Phillies, but here is a look at some of the players Amaro has brought in either through trade or free agency since he took over in 2008, and you will see why Ruben is TEAM MVP.

 

Brian Schneider

Schneider was acquired via free agency on a two-year contract.

Schneider has provided depth for Chooch and is a player that the pitchers on the team feel comfortable with when Carlos Ruiz needs a blow.

Placido Polanco

Amaro signed Polanco (who had played second base for the Detroit Tigers) on a three-year contract. Polanco was switched to third base and proceeded to bat .298, have an OBP of .339 and a .726 OPS. He also added six HR and 52 RBI.

Polanco is the type of hitter that the Phillies’ lineup had been lacking for years. He strikes out very rarely (evidenced by just 47 K in 554 AB) has a great eye (32 BB in ’10) and is capable of moving the runner along either by bunting or hitting.

Polanco’s defense has not been too shabby either. He has been named a Gold Glover twice with the Tigers and he committed just five errors last season while showing great range. A pretty seamless transition to say the least.

Cliff Lee

Amaro originally acquired Lee from the Cleveland Indians in August of 2009 at the trade deadline. While with the Phillies in 2009, Lee went 7-4 with a 3.39 ERA in 12 starts while racking up an impressive 79.2 IP. Oh yeah, he had 74 K to just 10 BB.

Lee was the extra help that the Phillies needed to get back to the World Series for the second consecutive year. In the playoffs, Lee posted a ridiculous 4-0 record in five starts and had two complete games. His ERA was an insane 1.56. In five games started, he pitched 40.1 innings, allowed just 27 hits and seven earned runs.

Amaro decided to trade Lee when the season was over to “replenish the farm system.” Phillies fans were upset, but they got over it when Amaro acquired…

Roy Halladay

“Doc” Halladay was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in December of 2009.

Everyone knows how this worked out for us: Halladay compiled a 21-10 record with a mind-blowing 2.44 ERA and 219 K.

Halladay lived up to the hype and more during his first year with the team that he took less money to join. Halladay threw nine complete games for the third straight season!

Halladay was so ridiculously good that his amazing May 29th perfect game was arguably his second-best start of the season, outdone by an unforgettable Oct. 6th no-hitter that was only the second in postseason history.

Did I mention he won the Cy Young? And Lee is back! Enough said.

Roy Oswalt

Oswalt was acquired from the Houston Astros at the July trade deadline of the 2010 season.

Not only did Amaro somehow manage to AGAIN get the best player available at the deadline, but our old friend Ed Wade decided to hand us $11 million to help pay the $23 million price tag of Oswalt.

Oswalt down the stretch may have been the best Phillie. He went 7-1 with a 1.74 ERA.

P.S.: We saw him play a pretty good left field, just in case Raul Ibanez goes down.

Other players brought in by Amaro: Ibanez, Ben Francisco, Jose Contreras, Mike Sweeney, Ross Gload, Wilson Valdez and Scott Eyre, to name a few.

 

Hopefully by now you get the point. Amaro has this team locked and loaded for the 2011 season and beyond.

Time and time again he has somehow snuck under the radar of ESPN, FOX and every other sports station’s coverage of trades and free agency and has landed the top talent available. He has the Phillies’ rotation LOADED with a rotation for the ages.

He has clearly built a top notch locker room atmosphere, evidenced by the fact that Lee and Halladay left millions of dollars in guaranteed money on the table just to be a part of it! Spring Training can not start soon enough.

Cheers to Philly Nation towards another World Series and cheers to Amaro, team MVP, to keep em’ coming.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Reasons Roy Oswalt Will Win Cy Young Award This Season

After assembling what many are considering to be the greatest rotation of all time with Halladay, Hamels, Lee and Oswalt, Philadelphia has never been more excited for any season in its entire 121-year history and for good reason.

Behind an All-Star lineup with potential Hall of Famers in Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, the Four Horsemen boast a resume that includes 10 top five finishes in Cy Young award voting, three actual Cy Young awards, 13 All-Star selections, six 20-win seasons, three postseason MVP awards and a 20-8 postseason record.

Doc Halladay proved last year that his lack of postseason experience did not mean a thing as he threw a no-hitter in his first-ever playoff start. Cliff Lee’s postseason resume includes a 7-2 record, with a 2.13 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 76 IP. Cole Hamels was the World Series MVP. But here are five reasons why Roy Oswalt will win the Cy Young.

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Philadelphia Phillies, Eagles and Flyers- 5 Reasons Philadelphia Owns New York

Who’s your daddy?

Ask New Yorkers this question and they’re sure to answer incorrectly. So, I’ll answer for them.

Philadelphia is your daddy.

The old, tired talk of Super Bowls and championships from years past simply does not fly anymore. Don’t take my word for it—just consider these five big reasons why Philadelphia owns New York.

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