We all knew Chase Utley had superhuman abilities. He goes
from first to third faster than a speeding bullet, his swing is more powerful
than a locomotive, and it can lift baseballs into the upper deck in a single
bound. But here’s one you may not have known about: the ability to paralyze with
his stare alone.
Philly Mag’s Robert Huber wrote a lengthy piece for April’s edition that delves into “The Real Chase Utley” (via Phillies Nation), giving us a more
personal look inside the second baseman’s background, his rehabilitation from
various injuries, the intensity he brings to the diamond, and family life and
fatherhood. It’s a great read about one of the city’s favorite athletes.
We’ve all heard the guys in the clubhouse say Utley is the
unquestioned leader, that sometimes he doesn’t have to say anything to get his
point across, but how? Finally Utley’s secret was revealed: the stare. Huber
remarks that if a teammate is giving anything less than 100%, Chase will be
waiting for them with that look.
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“The Whip”—that’s what pitcher Cole
Hamels calls him, and it’s something they all agree on. [Former Phillies
outfielder Aaron] Rowand would watch Chase give the stare-down to, say, Shane
Victorino when he wasn’t hustling. Sometimes Chase doesn’t say a word. Other
times it’s a simple, “If you don’t want to play, get out of the game.” To which
Shane Victorino, hurt and groping, would say, “I better never see you slacking.” Which was pretty
funny. Chase, slacking? It’s why the stare is almost always enough. The Whip.
Just how powerful is Utley’s gaze? It even works on his
wife.
He’s a guy so consumed by playing
that when his wife, Jen, asked him if he was worried that his troubled knees
were putting his career in jeopardy, he just looked at her silently. “I got a
death glare—a murderous glare,” she says. “I don’t want to see that again.”
Opposing pitchers would be mindful to keep their eyes on their
catcher and not on Chase Utley when he is standing at the plate, otherwise he might
persuade them to throw him his pitch. Incredible forces have been at work already
through nine games this season, as Utley is batting .333 with seven runs, nine
RBI, and two bombs.
News
>> The Real Chase Utley [Philly Mag]
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