Opinion

It sounds funny, doesn't it?

Chase Utley is being challenged for the starting job at second base for this year’s National League All-Star team.

Up until this year, that was a preposterous thought, but seemingly out of the woodwork.

So, let's do the math. Heading into tonight's game, the Philadelphia Phillies were 9-3 with Jimmy Rollins in the game, and 23-27 without him. 

Additionally, the hometown team has outscored opponents 74-35 with him, but have been outscored 226-201 with him idle. 

That's a 290-point differential in winning percentage.

Breaking it down a little further, that represents a 3.75 swing in run differential per game. With Rollins, the Phillies recorded 3.25 runs more than their opponent, but have scored .50 runs less than their opponent without him. 

Tigers' fans know this probably won't last forever.

However, Brennan Boesch has continued his hot streak much longer than anyone could have expected when he was called up from Toledo on April 24th.

Prior to Wednesday night's game with the Nationals, Boesch had hit eight home runs  on top of driving in 30 runs.

If Boesch had enough at-bats, he would rank fifth in the AL in batting average at .338, third in slugging percentage at .611, and fifth in OPS at .994.

He is doing it the old school way.  His hitting philosophy can be summed up in four words.

BOISE—Despite the uncooperative actions of the Treasure Valley weather gods, summer is among us and the 2010 Northwest League season is just two days away.  Media Day has come and gone from Memorial Stadium, marking the return of the Boise Hawks and the renewal of minor league relationships.

Where did the best second baseman in baseball go?

Chase Utley’s batting average continues to go down the tube. Starting at well over .300, it’s been a slow dissent to the .200’s. It doesn’t take much to notice he’s struggling.

In his last 10 games Utley’s only managed to squeak out a .206 average at his 34 appearances at the plate. Combine his four runs and seven hits with his four strikeouts and 0 stolen bases and it doesn’t add up to much.

After I finished my work in the office, I hopped on a New York City subway train and headed N orth towards the Bronx.

I was on my way to my first ever New York Yankees game.

Pitching Preview: Champs vs. Phillies Game 3 will be looking at a pair of veterans on Thursday’s match-up, in this 2009 World Series revival between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees .

Game 3:

All indicators seem to be pointing toward Chipper Jones retiring at the end of the 2010 season, barring some sort of miracle turnaround at the plate.

I'm hoping that he'll right the ship and somehow manage to salvage the season, but I just don't see it happening. Though, this is one case where I hope I'm wrong.

Even after absorbing Tuesday's loss to the visiting Baltimore Orioles, the San Francisco Giants are humming along now that May is but a memory.

Since the calendar flipped to June, the Gents (quick note—I don't care that the New York nickname was Gints and neither does anyone else in the Bay Area) are 9-5. If you include the last five games of a mediocre preceding month, San Francisco is 13-6.

So things are good for the baseball-conscious in the City.

Nevertheless, there are three glaring and potentially enduring problems with the club.

Chase Utley.  Ryan Howard.  Jayson Werth.  Placido Polanco.  Shane Victorino.  Raul Ibanez. 

Sounds like a pretty explosive line up, does it not?

Well, lately, this line up has been far from explosive.

Over the past month, Phillies fans as well as the baseball world has been dumbstruck.  With a line up that includes so many talented players, there is no reason that the team should hit a prolonged slump.