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Fri, Nov 6th 2009, 10:06
Utley flirts with rare feat for runner-up
The last second baseman to win a World Series MVP was also the last to win it while playing for the losing team: Bobby Richardson, who knocked in 12 runs in the 1960 Fall Classic for the Yankees.
The main reason Richardson was on the losing side that year was because of the player manning second for his opponent, Pittsburgh’s Bill Mazeroski, who hit the first title-winning walk-off home run in World Series history in Game 7.
Forty-nine years later, second baseman Chase Utley came close to matching Richardson’s feat, making a strong case to be the Series’ Most Valuable Player even as the Phillies fell short in their bid to repeat.
After the game, Utley characteristically said all the right things, deflecting attention off his personal performance and taking the team approach instead.
“I’m more disappointed that we weren’t able to be world champions,” Utley said. “But it always makes you feel good when you’re able to contribute.”
Utley’s choice of verb belies the scope of his own contribution. In six games, the Philadelphia second baseman hit five home runs. No one has ever hit more in a World Series, and the last person to hit that many did so 32 years ago and is nicknamed Mr. October for it.
“He did an unbelievable job,” Shane Victorino said. “Going into the Series, everyone questioned what was wrong with him and his struggles. And he showed the world how good a player he is, and what he loves to do, and why he is, to me, the best second baseman in baseball.”
Utley did, in fact, enter the series as a bit of a question mark. He was hitting .218 with three home runs in the 40 games since the start of September, and rumors of a nagging injury surrounded the second baseman.
Comments
Rachel Zaccaria | on 13/11/09
Dear Chase,
Hope you are doing well. I just wanted to tell you a heartwarming story. In the beginning of the spring of this year as my 8 year old son Jake (who dreams of playing for the Phillies someday) was getting ready for his little league season to start I told him about a newspaper article I had read about you. In this article your dad was reminiscing about you growing up and always being in the yard hitting wiffle balls for hours on end. Well where do you think Jake has been (rain or shine) since the beginning of spring? Yes, you guessed it, in the yard hitting wiffle balls. We have gone through many a wiffle ball! Please continue to inspire kids like mine to practice and do their best. I’ll continue to make sure mine stays in school and studies hard also. Just like Chase Utley did! Keep up the great work. Rachel Zaccaria
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