Background: Utley hasn’t sneaked up on anyone in years. When he arrived on the UCLA campus as 160-pound freshman, hype followed him from nearby Long Beach Poly High School. He raked for three years for the Bruins alongside teammate Garrett Atkins before the Phillies made him the 15th overall pick in the 2000 draft. His path cleared by the Placido Polanco trade last season, Utley has emerged as an MVP candidate.
What’s up: Utley was chasing history until Friday, when his hit streak halted at 35 consecutive games. That left him nine shy of Pete Rose’s National League mark. It’s hard to determine what’s more impressive, the quantity or the quality of his work. This isn’t a streak, it’s a diary of havoc. Utley batted .405 during his run with nine home runs and 31 RBIs. He has raised his average from .290 to .328, putting himself in the running for a batting title. He was last held hitless June 21 against the Yankees. The last 0-fer against a National League team came against the Mets on June 15.
What’s next: As one general manager told me recently, Utley officially has replaced Jeff Kent as the NL’s best offensive second baseman. Utley has power, eclipsing 20 home runs for the second consecutive season. But what makes him such a difficult out is that he doesn’t discriminate. During his streak, he had double-figure hits to every position in the outfield.
Renck’s take: Utley’s approach to the streak sat in stark contrast to Rose, who was accommodating every night and couldn’t wait to greet reporters. To no one’s surprise, Rose embraced the spotlight before lamely grousing about Atlanta’s Gene Garber ending his magical run at Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game standard. Utley wouldn’t discuss his streak with teammates, let alone reporters. When the questions were asked, he talked about the weather or something else trivial. Though Utley failed to eclipse Rose, his swing explains why he may top him someday. Utley has a compact stroke, so he devours both right-handers and left-handers, and he runs well enough to leg out an infield hit if necessary.
