I Bet Batman Never Had A Degenerative Knee Condition

When the news broke about Chase Cameron Utley leaving Spring Training to go see (another) knee specialist, it sort of felt like that moment in an old cartoon, where the hero gets trapped in a terrible situation and the narrator comes on to say, "Will our Hero make it out alive to save the kids from the flaming school bus? Find out next week!" Only, in the cartoons, there’s never really a doubt that the hero will be fine, save the kids, and get the girl.

I bet Batman never had a degenerative knee condition.

Degenerative: Adj. (of a disease or condition) getting steadily worse.

I know, I know, me of all people talking like this so close to Opening Day.

While I do not think Chase’s career is over, I can't stop thinking about the bigger picture, and how it could have been different.

When Chase first came up, every Phillies fan saw the whole beautiful picture playing out in their head. A long, happy marriage between a team, a city, and it's phenomenally good looking second baseman. A gritty, hard-working player whose unparalleled baseball mind could make anyone's heart melt (or maybe that's just me). No, his range at second wasn’t great, but we knew that because of his work ethic, it would come.

Yes, the first couple years were blissful. We could see MVP awards, Cooperstown and eventually, some cushy job as the team’s alumni ambassador, or something.

Then, that stupid pitch from John Lanaan in 2007 broke his hand.

That's where things got shaky for our hero. A cranky hip throughout 2008 required surgery after the celebrations ended. A sprained thumb in 2010, and then the knee problems started. All in all, he's missed 106 games in the last two years.

The numbers certainly aren't what we expected. Most players would be thrilled to have a career .290 batting average with an .882 OPS and 1,198 hits. But, we’re talking about the difference between a solid Major Leaguer and the legend we thought Chase might become. If he had stayed healthy, and kept on pace with his 2006 season (160 games, .309 BA with 32 HRs, 102 RBI and 40 doubles), it's easy to imagine what his career numbers could have looked like. He has fallen out of the top five in most Fantasy Baseball rankings for second basemen and after five straight years on the list, he hasn’t cracked the top 10 in WAR since 2009.

It's hard not to think about the what-ifs. What if Chase hadn't gone to college and started in the system earlier? (Actually that one's easy, he would have been playing for the Dodgers.) But what if Chase didn't have to wait for the Phillies to clear space for him? What if he hadn't played in so many games early on? The speculations are endless, but it doesn't seem to matter much now. Now is a 33-year-old second baseman with a degenerative knee condition shrouded in mystery and secrecy by a general manager whose remarks on the subject usually involve “different stretches and exercises.”

I am in no way shape or form acting like Chase is dead or that the Phils never have a chance to win again – because they do. If anything, I'm already nostalgic about this core group of guys, the ones who brought us a parade and so many good memories. It’s hard to imagine the Phillies without Chase, Ryan and Jimmy, but it seems the end of this love affair is closer than we thought. After almost 10 years, it’s hard to say how many more summers we have left with this group of players together.

The 2012 Phillies are still incredibly talented, experienced and, oh yeah, there are still those three guys in the rotation. This team will not fade from contention, but they need to pull together, regardless of who takes the right side of the infield. Like an aging pitcher with less velocity, it’s time to reassess the arsenal, and find a way to win, even if it means adopting a different strategy. For the fans, it’s time to start letting go of the “what-ifs” and focusing on what’s on the field – what I believe is still one of the best teams in baseball.

Even if Chase can never get back to 100%, we should count ourselves lucky for getting the chance to watch him play when he was healthy (and that the team around his has gotten so much better). He brought a lot of passion back into Philadelphia baseball and the organization owes him a lot for getting them to where they are.

But, maybe our hero will surprise us all yet. Because, after all, “Chase Utley, you are the man.”

(Proof you really can find anything on Google.)

I Love Jah-RO-Mur Jogger

Saturday night in Toronto, the Flyers went into overtime tied at 4 with the Maple Leafs. Jaromir Jagr grabbed the puck and dip-see-doodled around the Leafs’ zone, made their defensemen look like cones, and kept possession of the puck for a solid 40 seconds.

The only thing going through my mind was, “Forget it. I love Jah-RO-Mur.”

Flashback to July 1, 2011: I remember exactly where I was when a friend called to inform me that the Flyers had just signed the 39-year-old. I remember because I had to leave the room due to the waterfall of confused, flabbergasted expletives coming out of my mouth.

Jah-RO-Mur Jogger, the man whose real name had never come out of my mouth – mostly as a testament to my deep-rooted dislike of him. The Penguin with the awful mullet I grew up hating. (Literally, my first Flyers game was against Pittsburgh and I still remember the way the Spectrum shook with boos and jeers when Jah-RO-Mur took the ice.) The guy who caused me to berate the Flyers defensemen from my living room because they wouldn’t hit him when he would play Follow the Leader around the ice. The guy who when he faded away to the KHL, everyone assumed he was just another burnt out superstar too afraid to let go of the game. The list goes on and on.

Between Jah-RO-Mur’s age, his history with the fan base, and with the Mike Richards and Jeff Carter trades having happened the week before, I truly thought that Flyers General Manger Paul Holmgren had lost his mind.

But, I’ve been wrong before (see Charlie Manuel over Jim Leyland circa 2005), and I did really enjoy how angry the Penguins fans were.

Come back to Saturday night. That was the moment I decided to stop fighting it. Somewhere in the last six months, Jah-RO-Mur has turned into an endearing nickname. I realized that you can’t hit what you can’t catch. And I finally admitted that I am a Jah-RO-Mur fan.

More than anything, I’ve loved the intangibles that Jah-RO-Mur brings to the locker room. On a team whose play on the ice could put you to sleep a year ago, the man who always seemed like such a grump has infused life and old-fashioned little kid fun into Flyers’ game. His 46 points don’t hurt either.

In no way does Homer need my apology – or will he ever read this – but I need to get this off my chest: I was wrong about signing Jah-RO-Mur. Not only was it not a bad decision, it was a great decision. I – much like when Peter Forsberg graced us with his presence – have enjoyed seeing one of the game’s greatest players night after night in the Orange and Black.

Now, if only he’d bring Philly a Cup…

Bring It, March!

I hate March.

I really, really hate March.

It’s still cold. I’m not in Clearwater. I’m pale as anything.

Baseball is around the corner, but really, that just makes my desire to be at the ballpark even worse. Yes, the hockey is good, but the last 20 games are so stressful. I don’t do March Madness. The same reports coming out of Spring Training, every day. The list goes on and on. Essentially – with the exception of St. Patty’s Day – this month makes me want to crawl in my bed and not come out until Opening Day.

This year, I’m preparing early with my 5-step “Make March Less Awful” plan.

Step 1: Listen to Spring Training games on the radio at work. This is a perfect combination of things, and a carry-over from March 2011. It makes the afternoons at work absolutely fly by and it’s so comforting to hear those familiar voices. Usually the broadcasts are full of funny stories from Spring Training and Scott Franzke and LA making fun of each other about all of the things they did over the winter. Win.

Step 2: REALLY pay attention to the late innings of Spring Training games. I don’t like to talk about it, but the fact is the Phillies are getting old. In the next couple of years, the franchise is going to look substantially different. So, for the first time in a while, those unknown minor leaguers playing in the 9^th inning of Spring Training games may seriously have an impact, either on the field or in a trade. Now is the perfect time to pay attention to their mechanics, fundamentals, and most importantly, figure out what assets the team can play with.

Step 3: Watch my favorite sports movies. Once baseball season starts, there is very little time to watch movies. What better way to infuse fun and joy into these miserable March weeks than to watch all my sports movies? Opening Day is 5 weeks from today. I think I shall try to come up with my top five favorite sports movies of all time. There will be more on this soon…

Step 4: Try not to lose my mind watching the Atlantic Division points totals. For all the reasons that I hate March, scoreboard watching usually takes on a life of its own. Without much else to entertain myself with, I sit and watch the standings. It’s stressful, and the thought of not having the Flyers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (aka the greatest thing in sports) hurts my heart.

Step 5: Watch this interview with Chase every day. Watching Chase get completely smitten about his son (and Jim Thome) is just about the most adorable thing I have ever seen in my entire life. I love him. Watch this and you'll be instantly happy – perfect for March! You'll also probably wonder if the Phillies forgot to pack sunscreen.

Okay, this may not be the greatest plan I’ve ever come up with, but at this point, anything will help! Bring it March – I’m kind of ready for you.