The World Series heads back to the Bronx tonight, with the New York Yankees leading the Philadelphia Phillies three games to two after the Phillies staved off a valiant Pinstripes comeback in Game 5 to avoid elimination.
Phillies starter Cliff Lee, who dominated the Yankees in Game 1, allowed five runs on seven hits and three walks on Monday night, pitching well enough to earn the win in the 8-6 decision, but only because Philadelphia's bats finally woke up. And with that outburst, the leader of the most powerful offense in the National League might finally get some long-deserved recognition.
It's hard to argue against St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols being the most valuable player in the Senior Circuit, but Phillies second baseman Chase Utley is not as far behind as many believe. While Pujols' obscene 1.101 OPS distinctly marks him as the best offensive player in baseball, Utley gets a boost for ranking in the top 10 in OPS while being Gold Glove-caliber at the far more difficult defensive position. In other words, El Hombre might be a supernatural talent, but the Chase Utleys of the world are not a dime a dozen.
During the World Series, Utley's performance has been unparalleled. The 30-year-old set a new record in Game 1 by reaching base in his 26th consecutive postseason contest and hasn't looked back ever since.
All together, Utley is 6-for-18 through the first five games of the Fall Classic. Of those half-dozen hits, one is a double and the others have all left the ballpark. That's good for a slugging percentage of 1.222, which is made even more remarkable by the fact that the left-handed Utley has faced a barrage of southpaw pitchers in the World Series. In two games against former Cy Young Award winner CC Sabathia, Utley has smacked three home runs, and his shot Monday night against reliever Phil Coke gave the Phillies the insurance they would need as Lee and the Philadelphia bullpen nearly coughed up a six-run lead.
What Utley — a .282 hitter with 31 home runs and 93 RBIs in the regular season — has done during the so-called Broad Street-Broadway Series is historic. His five career World Series dingers against left-handed pitching are good enough to equal one George Herman "Babe" Ruth for second place on the all-time list of homers versus southpaws. And Utley has accomplished that feat in just 10 games, dating back to last October.
Moreover, Utley's five total homers (including a three-run bomb in the first-inning of Monday's game off of A.J. Burnett) in this Fall Classic have pulled him even with another Yankees legend, Reggie Jackson, for the most ever in a single World Series. Jackson was the hero of the Bombers' 1977 championship team, blasting three moonshots in New York's deciding Game 6 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Fittingly, Jackson has been on hand to witness Utley's magic, as he now serves as a special adviser to the Yankees. While Utley has not managed to equal the Hall of Famer's incredible single-game trifecta, his pair of two home run efforts is an accomplishment that the 1977 Fall Classic MVP cannot claim.
Utley comes off as the reserved type, shying away from interviews and avoiding the spotlight. Perhaps that's why the popular belief tends to be that slugging first baseman Ryan Howard — owner of 45 homers and a league-high 141 RBI during the regular season — is the centerpiece of manager Charlie Manuel's lineup card. But by following the proverb, "speak softly and carry a big stick," Utley has proven that, in reality, Howard is the one playing second fiddle to him.
If attention and a nickname were all Chase Utley lacked coming into this World Series, he should never be overlooked again. Utley is a force — at the plate, on the field and in the clubhouse — for the Phillies, and one of the elite players in the National League.
Reggie Jackson earned the moniker of "Mr. October" for his contributions 32 years ago. Regardless of whether Utley's efforts are enough for the Phillies to overcome their deficit and upset the Yankees this year, the title of "Mr. November" now belongs to him.
