Utley’s Loss Of Clutch Remains Mystery
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Fri, September 12, 2008 11:02 AM | Comments: 22
Posts
June 18 — that’s the last time Chase Utley’s OPS was over 1.000. And July 4 — that’s the last time his batting average was over .300. Those statistical marks define Utley for us fans. They signify how baffling his second-half slide has baffled us to the very core. Is it the hip injury? Is it just a slump? Is it nothing?
We know Utley hasn’t played to his complete potential (though his full stats of .298/.378/.535/31 HR/93 RBI/96 R are nothing to sneeze at). We know he’s been struggling at the plate, especially in big situations:
- He’s hitting .231 with a .721 OPS in “late-and-close” situations.
- He’s hitting .252 with a .793 OPS in one-run games.
- He’s hitting .206 with a .700 OPS in “high-leverage” situations.
- He’s hitting .350 with a 1.154 OPS in games where the margin is more than four runs.
- He’s hitting .322 with a 1.036 OPS in “low-leverage” situations.
As we’ve seen a lot recently, Utley comes up short in clutch situations. He thrives in blowouts, where the pressure is completely off. It’s something we don’t want to realize — for a while now we’ve celebrated Utley’s grit and gamesmanship. But grit and gamesmanship don’t mean clutch.
What’s really interesting is Utley had very good numbers in clutch situations last season (and in 2006 his “high leverage” numbers were great). How do we explain this phenomenon? Considering — and this is just estimating — many of the Phils’ larger margins came earlier in the season, it very well might go back to injury, to that hip.
Some posters have suggested sitting Utley tonight against lefty Manny Parra. One benching wouldn’t really do much (especially if you’ve had an injury for months), and you need your best players in these games. I say keep him out there.
Posts: 0 NEPA
In the 2nd paragraph from the bottom, it says Hamels, not Utley.
Posted: 11:28 AM on September 12, 2008
Posts: 0 Evan
What to do about Utley? Move him around in the lineup to take some of the pressure off?
How bout Rollins, Vic, Werth, Howard, Utley, Burell, the rest? I think the Phils would also benefit from moving Burell away from Howard in the lineup. Give him a chance to hit with someone on base. Just a thought.
Posted: 11:41 AM on September 12, 2008
Posts: 0 Bonezy
It is the Home Run Derby Slump!
Posted: 11:43 AM on September 12, 2008
Posts: 0 Phanatic in Cali
Injury or not, I get frustrated watching Utley chase pitches out of the strike zone that in the first half he was taking. He (and Burrell) were lazered in earlier in the season and their numbers showed it. If he can improve his pitch selection, his production in key situations will turn around. He’s also batting in front of a red hot Howard (the king of chase), how can he not be getting pitches to hit?
Posted: 11:44 AM on September 12, 2008
Posts: 0 Evan
Phanatic
He is definately chasing a lot more. He also used to foul off pitches endlessly until he got something he liked. He isn’t making contact like he was in the beginning of the season.
Posted: 11:48 AM on September 12, 2008
Posts: 0 Jordan
Utley and Burell are killing this team, which makes no sense, because Burell is in a contract year, and I’m positive no one cares about this game more than Chase does. But despite these two parasites in the lineup, we can still win, as evident last night, if Rollins can get on base. 0-4, 0-5, we lose every time. It really comes down to him.
Posted: 11:48 AM on September 12, 2008
Posts: 0 Phanatic in Cali
Good point Evan. He seems to be taking fastballs for strikes too. He used to turn on them and rocket a line drive over or off the right field fence. He’s batting with 2 strikes a lot more lately (it feels like) and then he starts to chase the off speed stuff.
Posted: 11:51 AM on September 12, 2008
Posts: 0 Durbinator
I think Utley’s been playing hurt. Even Gillick said this but Utley still denied it. But if he’s playing hurt that doesn’t really explain why his hitting is great in low pressure situations and not in “clutch” situations.
Posted: 01:05 PM on September 12, 2008
Posts: 0 Johnny
It just looks like his timing is off, then he gets down in the count, tries to stay alive and just can’t … not like he used to.
Whether its an injury or not, his arms are still moving alot faster than his hips and with such a short swing to begin with, it comes back to timing.
Maybe he might want to swing off a tee or work with a new bat either way we CAN’T take him out of the lineup. Despite his offensive struggles his defense has definitely helped keep us in the game.
Posted: 01:08 PM on September 12, 2008
Posts: 0 bull
I would like to see a lineup of
Rollins
Vic
Howard
Werth
Utley
Burrell
Feliz
Catcher
separate the lefties and get utley swinging first pitch he keeps taking that fastball down the shoot first pitch, make burrell do 20 pushups for every ball he pulls early in the season he was staying back on pitches…he almost cost us a run last night not moving howard over to third with no outs
Posted: 01:25 PM on September 12, 2008
Posts: 0 Richie Allen
All of this speculation MAY not be anything other than the up and down cycle of almost every baseball player…very RARELY do you have someone who DOESNT go through this.
Its just magnified because its now..crunch time..
I just hope IF Utley is hurt it isnt something that affects him long term because he didnt take care of it earlier.
Burrell just looks to me like the old Burrell we had before his latest renovation the last 1/2 of last year..and the first half of this year.
Posted: 01:32 PM on September 12, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
utley has had two MAJOR slumps this year. its amazing hes put up these numbers actually because hes had loooong stretches of horrible plate appearances.
meanwhile, that k-rod dude is going to get an obscene contract. starter money probably, like 15-17mm per year. 6 years. yeah. that guy is a complete maniac. still, i like lidge’s calm, cold, professional approach just fine.
Posted: 01:34 PM on September 12, 2008
Posts: 0 Richie Allen
Matter of fact if you look at it the other way…Think of RYAN HOWARD
I dont hear anyone with great concern about him lately because he is having a great September…
But if you looked at this blog last month..Everybody ,and I mean most people wanted to trade the sob…
Nobody mentions his strikeouts now..
Its the natural cycle of a player.Timing is everything.
Posted: 01:40 PM on September 12, 2008
Posts: 0 mikemike
RichieAllen Says I hate the strikeouts. But his avg with RISP is great. So we should realize it might not be pretty but he get the job done in the clutch.
Posted: 01:56 PM on September 12, 2008
Posts: 0 Georgie
Chase probably is playing hurt, but as someone said earlier, that doesn’t explain his messed up timing, which I’ve noticed on the field at times as well as at the plate. If he is popping a few too many painkillers, that would effect his reactions.
Posted: 02:13 PM on September 12, 2008
Posts: 0 mikemike
Georgie don’t go there with that .
Posted: 04:10 PM on September 12, 2008
Posts: 0 Georgie
Why not?
Posted: 04:20 PM on September 12, 2008
Posts: 0 mikemike
Because you are suggestion he is on drugs. I live in south philly and have seen the results of people who overuse painkillers. People who never in there life have done drugs and go to the doctor and all of a sudden. they are hooked. I Saw a kid about eight years ago who use to play pinocle with us in a bar league. He was a good kid just married, well he got painkillers from the doctor and when he couldn’t get another script,he started to get them on the street. when that wasn’t good enough after a while he tried to shoot up and died. so please watch what you say about that subject.
Posted: 04:49 PM on September 12, 2008
Posts: 0 Evan
mikemike
I’ve known people with servere injuries that have to take painkillers to get through the day. There are legitimate ways to manage pain and there is absue of painkillers. Who’s to say Utley is abusing drugs if he has a legal prescription?
Its all speculation anyway. The important point is whether or not he’s producing when he needs to be and the obvious answer is no.
Posted: 05:08 PM on September 12, 2008
Posts: 0 mikemike
Evan says . It just bothers me to have any one say someone is taking any kind of drugs. That can be habit forming. His numbers suggest that he is hurting or just having one of those bad times all good hitter go through.
Posted: 05:29 PM on September 12, 2008
Posts: 0 Tools of Ignorance
Just a quick thought. Nobody understands why Utley is off right now with his hitting, and a lot of you mention his timing. You also mention that he may be injured, but that shouldn’t affect him. If he is injured/hurt though in his hip, that type of injury, whatever it may be, can and will effect a player’s swing, and thus will also effect the timing of the batter….
However, this is not an excuse for Chase to be swinging and chasing at pitches out of the strike zone….Where he once had sharp vision, it’s almost like he doesn’t see the ball anymore….Who knows, maybe he needs contacts….
Posted: 09:32 PM on September 12, 2008
Posts: 0 Fred
Someone who does flying body blocks on opposing catchers surely wouldn’t be injured, at least not in the hip.
Posted: 09:48 PM on September 12, 2008