This bird was a steady visitor to my hotel balcony in Ocean City, Maryland, early this week. Or maybe I was his guest.Though the man himself denied it, we all "knew" that Chase Utley was playing hurt for most of the season. It's now official. Next week Utley will have surgery on his right hip and will be out for four to six months. It is now clear that for much of the year Utley was playing through pain that affected his swing and muted his power numbers. It makes those incredible plays he made down the stretch--the fabulous 6-4-3 doubleplay he turned to clinch the NL East, the diving catches, the fake throw, to name a few--all the more impressive. Fingers crossed that the surgery is straightforward and that Utley is back to his old self sooner than later. Without him there would have been no postseason.
Same goes for Pedro Feliz, sidelined for almost a month this season with a lower back problem. He too is having surgery and will be out 8 to 12 weeks. That means he should be ready by spring training. Utley, however, will likely miss Opening Day.
What do the Phillies do in the meantime? Well, Eric Bruntlett gets his share of starts no doubt. And double-A infield prospect Jason Donald, who starred in the Olympics and has been tearing it up in the Arizona Fall League, may get a chance to show what he can do. Donald last night won the Dernell Stenson award, named for the Cincinnati Reds' prospect killed in a carjack during the 2003 AFL season. The award is given to the AFL player who best embodies the traits of good character, leadership, and hard work.
Later today the Phillies announced that they had traded outfield prospect Greg Golson, 23, to the Texas Rangers for outfield prospect John Mayberry, 24. Both were first-round draft picks. Golson is a speedster while Mayberry is a power hitter. I don't know what the trade means. Golson was a toolsy high school kid; Mayberry came out of Stanford, GM Amaro's alma mater. Guess the Phillies valued Mayberry's power over Golson's speed. I've seen Golson lots at Reading and always wanted to root for him but couldn't quite commit. When I saw him late this season in Philadelphia, he did not look ready. On the other hand, he did spend the postseason with the big club.
