Categories: Posts

Utley: I’m A Hugger And Proud Of It

Chase Utley made some media rounds today, hitting ESPN Radio’s “Mike & Mike in the Morning,” an ESPN Chat and WFAN.

A ESPN.com user asked if he was hugging the plate too much. (Hat tip to MetsBlog) Utley:

â€œAs far as hugging the plate, yes, and thatâ€™s not gonna change!â€

He said on “Mike & Mike ” that he could’ve gotten out of the way (of one of the pitches). On replays, you can clearly see Utley even stepped slightly into the third pitch.

It ain’t a crime if you don’t get caught. Utley did anything he could to help the team in that situation. Now, one thing I’m just a little irked at is why Utley didn’t try to step out from the pitch that drilled him in the seventh, thinking â€” oh, I don’t know â€” about hitting the ball. He is the team’s best hitter, bar none. And remember, if Delgado and Reyes make that turn, the Phils never get even tie the game.

Still, Utley could’ve ducked out, but didn’t, electing to get the pass and prolong the inning, give the Phils a better opportunity and get the crowd heated. You can go either way. And either way, he’s a very, very smart player.

Tim Malcolm

Tim first found the Phillies as a little infant at Veteran’s Stadium, cheering on a Juan Samuel game-winning home run in his very first game. With the pinstripes in his blood, he witnessed Terry Mulholland’s 1990 no-hitter, “Steve Carlton Night” at the Vet, game three of the 1993 World Series, countless games during the charmed 2008 championship season and various road excursions. Since November 2007 Tim’s been writing about them daily at Phillies Nation, becoming one of the world’s most popular Phillies scribes. You can catch him on Twitter and Facebook, as well. When he’s not talking about the Phils he’s relaxing with a St. Bernardus ABT 12 or one of his many favored brews.