Printer-friendly

Contact Author

November 3, 2009

On the Beat

Mr. October 2.0

by John Perrotto

Two years ago, I had a vote for the National League Most Valuable Player Award. Topping my ballot was a Phillies’ middle infielder. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins won, but he wasn’t my pick.

Second baseman Chase Utley was clearly the best player on a team that chased down the Mets, making up seven games in the last 17 days of the season to win the NL East in 2007. He was also, in my mind, the best player in the league.

Utley wound up being overlooked, which seems to be the way it always goes for him. He can look on each side of him in the Phillies’ infield and see MVPs in Rollins and first baseman Ryan Howard, who won the Award in 2006. Utley has never finished higher than seventh in the MVP voting, that coming in '06.

Then again, being overshadowed is a way of life for Utley, a man who seems to relish anonymity. He wasn’t the most well-known player on his Little League team in Long Beach, California. Sean Burroughs, who would wind up flopping as a major leaguer, was the star on that squad, leading Long Beach to the Little League World Series title in Williamsport. And when Utley played at Poly High, scouts were focused more on classmate Milton Bradley, now the Cubs’ right fielder.

Utley intentionally stays out of the spotlight, as he does nothing in the way of self-promotion. He is polite during interviews, but incredibly boring. About the only thing that stands out about him beyond his playing ability is that he uses more hair gel than Eddie Munster. While an argument can be made that the fans appreciate Utley as they have voted him as the NL’s starting second baseman for the last four All-Star Games, his name never gets mentioned in any discussions about the best players in the game.