Phillies

New York Is Out To Get Chase Utley

By Kyle Scott

Published: Oct 11th, 2015 · 10:56 AM EDT

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THIS MAKES ME SO HAPPY.

Somewhere, this morning, Harry Kalas poured himself a See-Through, nestled up to the great bar in the clouds, and told By Saam stories about “The Man.”

New York Post:

Chase Utley has fine lifetime numbers against Matt Harvey, so there is an awfully good chance he will start Game 3 of this National League Division Series when it resumes Monday at Citi Field. And even if he doesn’t, and merely trots to third base as part of the pregame introductions …

If Utley thought he was detested, despised and reviled in New York already, he has no idea what he’s in for. You thought it was ugly when John Rocker returned to the scene of his verbal hate crimes? Maybe you remember Pete Rose leveling Buddy Harrelson back in the ’73 playoffs, and the way he was treated the rest of his career at Shea Stadium?

Those were Hallmark cards compared to what’s coming.

…

This would have blown up the night regardless of who was involved. The fact it’s Utley only makes it epic. Utley was the very face of the Phillies who stole the East right away from the Mets in 2007 and didn’t let go for years. How many back-breaking hits has he collected against the Mets through the years? Seven thousand?

But it was more than that: Those Phillies believed the Mets were a soft, heartless lot, and they played the game with a ferocity the Mets took years to understand. This wasn’t even Utley’s first crack at Tejada: He took him out with a hard slide in September 2010, a play that drew harsh barbs (though no immediate retribution) from the Mets.

Everyone has a side in this (unless you’re Eric Byrnes on God-knows-what on MLB Network and crazed in your defense of everyone everywhere). But get outta here if you think this was a dirty play. It happens every week in baseball. If the league doesn’t like it, then change the rules. If Ruben Tejada’s leg didn’t snap (NEVER PLANT YOUR LEG WHILE TURNING TWO!), this wouldn’t even be as big of a deal. Sure, New York still would’ve hated Utley, but it would’ve blown over. If I’m a second baseman or shortstop, I’m offended – OFFENDED – if Utley doesn’t come at me like that. Tejada should’ve known– Utley did it to him before:

But Utley’s also been on the receiving end of it. Here’s soft-backed Captain America going straight for Utley’s balls in 2013:

Earlier in the game I tweeted that I was actually rooting for David Wright. No longer. His predictable whining after the game sealed it. And then I realized why the Phillies thought the Mets were soft all those years: You root for guys like Wright because they want it… but you hate guys like Chase because they take it. Chase stole a win last night, and his manager, Don Mattingly, whose job Chase may very well have saved, was too much of a pussy to defend Utley after the game. “Charlie wouldn’t have done that to Chase,” my wife said to me this morning. Absolutely. Charlie would not have only defended Uts, but he would’ve swilled beer with him afterward and asked if he could hear the bone snapping. Chase would’ve nodded.

New York Daily News:

David Wright remembers all too well Utley’s similar play in 2010 that upended Tejada. The Mets captain was asked if it was Utley’s style of play that put others in danger and he thought it was pretty obvious”.

“He has injured people, this isn’t something new,” Wright said. “Again, I am not going to sit here answer on behalf of Chase, Chase can answer for himself.”

Is there any doubt that Chase is going to answer by taking a Matt Harvey fastball and burying it into Utley’s Corner at Citi Field on Monday? Outta here. Boo? Fuck you.