The Utley Issue

Chut's the man. Motion passed.

So there's a nice piece of service to the Failing Phils' long-time HOF-bound (maybe) 2B, the last link to the glory years that the fans still actually want around, and as to why that is, over on NBC Philly today. (Yeah, moment of weakness, I looked, you don't have to.)

The writer notes the past glories of Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, Jimmy Rollins and Carlos Ruiz, and wonders why people are still good with the Chut, rather than them. Eventually, this comes down to the idea that the late great Harry Kalas got more enthused about him than the others, and, um, Philly Fan's just a big softie who misses Harry. (Well, to be fair, anyone with a pair of brain cells to rub together misses Harry. But still.)

Missing, of course, the three actual points involved in Utley's continuing popularity.

1) He's still actually pretty good. He was always great when healthy. Last year, for the most part and improbably, he was healthy. So it's not like you have to have your nose rubbed in it during a Jeter-esque swan song that's sub-replacement level bad. Chut is still basically an All-Star, which says as much about second base as it does him, but hey.

2) He's an everyday player. Which makes him more popular than Hamels, the WS MVP and actual best player on the team, or at least the last one with any actual trade value.

3) Unlike Howard and Ruiz and the departed Rollins, Chut shares something in common with the fan base, especially the vast majority of those in the good seats.

Because while Philly Fan is no more racist than New York Fan or Boston Fan or Detroit Fan or Cleveland Fan or Chicago Fan or, well, Any MLB Fan...

He's not less.

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