Back in the line-up!

Photos taken by Christina Stetler Photography

I have been waiting for this day since Spring Training!  Chase Utley is back in the line-up!  He came into Spring Training this year with tendinitis in his right knee. At first, the team played coy with the fans, saying he had some soreness and they were letting him rest for a few days.  Then it became a week, then multiple weeks, and then the official news came down at the end of Spring Training that Utley wouldn't be playing in Spring Training and definitely would not be in the line-up Opening Day.  Oh, and by the way, we have no idea  how long his injury could take to come back from.  There was even talk of just making sure he was healthy again for the 2012 season.  Yea, they were discussing the possibility he would be out all of 2011.  Wow.

And with that news, everyone in the sports casting world wrote the Phillies off.  Amazing.  Just a few months before, with the addition of Cliff Lee in December, the Phillies were crowned the "unofficial" World Series champions.  With the loss of Chase Utley (and then Brad Lidge), the Phillies lost all hope of winning the World Series.  Sure, the division was within their reach, but the World Series?  Nope.  Not without Utley.  Not without one player. 

Because, you see, the Phillies have no other good players.  Nope.  Not a single one...

Jimmy Rollins - 2007-2009 Rawlings Gold Glove winner; 2001, 2002, and 2005 All-Star representative; 2007 MVP
Placido Polanco - 2007 and 2009 Rawlings Gold Glove winner; 2007 All-Star representative; 2007 MLB.com Defensive Player of the Year
Shane Victorino - 2008-2010 Rawlings Gold Glove winner; 2009 All-Star representative
Ryan Howard - 2005 Rookie of the Year award; 2006 MVP; 2006, 2009, and 2010 All-Star representative; 2009 NLCS MVP;
Raul Ibanez - 2009 All-Star representative
Carlos Ruiz - 2010 MLB.com X-Factor Player of the Game; managed to catch a Perfect Game and a play-off no-hitter in 2010

And all this, without mentioning pitching...

Roy Halladay - 2003 and 2010 Cy Young winner; 2010 MLB.com Starter of the Year; 2002, 2003, 2005,  2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 All-Star representative; 2010 MLB Player's Choice NL Outstanding Pitcher; 2010 MLB Clutch Performer of the Year; 2010 Perfect Game; 2010 Play-off no-hitter
Cliff Lee - 2008 Cy Young winner; 2008, 2010 All-Star representative; 2008 Comeback Player of the Year
Roy Oswalt - 2005 - 2007 All-Star representative
Cole Hamels- 2008 World Series MVP; 2008 NLCS MVP; 2007 All-Star representative

So, I can see why all the sports writers and broadcasters would state that without Chase Utley the team was bound to fail.  I mean, who can win with a team like this?  Philadelphia should have just packed it in as soon as Utley was down and forfeited the season.  It's not like they could possibly be leading their division at all this year (first place with 1.5 games up on the Florida Marlins as of 5/23/11) or have the best record in the National League (28-18 as of 5/23/11).  Thank heavens Chase has come back!  How else will the Phillies be able to play baseball this year?