Tuesday, June 3, 2008

The Chase for the MVP

Maybe the Phils should ask Chase Utley to sell programs or sweep up after the games. He’s doing everything else for the team.

Last night The “Chase” for the MVP award continued at Citizens Bank Park with another tour de force performance from the Phils’ second baseman.

All Utley did last night was deposit another ball in the right-field bleachers, a tracer shot that screamed out of the park in the first inning, staking the Phils to a 2-0 lead.

It was his league-leading 21st dinger of the season, and the fifth game in a row that Utley has gone yard.

And Utley is not just doing it with his bat. He’s also making a statement in the field, snagging two line drives, including the final out in the bottom of the ninth when he robbed Joey Votto to seal the deal.

The Phils are now up by a game and a half over the Marlins in the NL East.

In the meantime, Reds slugger Junior Griffey took the night off, citing “general soreness.” I think I had that yesterday, too, after another tough weekend working in the yard.

Griffey likely will continue his march to 600 home runs tonight. He’s sitting at 599.

But he will not be the brightest star in Citizens Bank Park. That honor belongs to Utley, who is simply doing things that maybe have never been done by a second-baseman before.

He’s on a pace to hit 58 homers. How impressive is that? Consider that the all-time record for second basemen is 42, set by the immortal Rogers Hornsby in 1922, and the decidedly more motal Davey Johnson in 1973.

The Phillies have captured the last two National League MVP awards, with Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins alternating in the lead role.

Can you say three-peat? The Chase is on.

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