Who Really Wanted to Meet Who?

The Phillies began a 4-game series against the Washington Nationals Friday evening. And prior to that they met with President Obama at the White House. My bet is that Mr. Obama wanted to meet – you guessed it - Chase Utley – the best and smartest baseball player in the Major Leagues. And my guess is also, that Chase Utley wanted to meet the President as well, no slouch in the brains department. Although he has not designed any athletic moves, he’s designed quite a few financial moves, moves we know quite well and call Socialism. They come under the rubric of ‘enlarging government and expanding its control over American citizens’.

Now what Chase designed for himself is this: he stands really really close to the plate, forcing the pitcher to pitch good pitches inside, or else he hits him. 25 times last year, 27 times the year before, and he gets so many good clean balls he hits lots of home runs and doubles - last year - and even manages to play well with a completely bum hip as evidenced by the second part of last season. And the way Chase has overcome having so little space in front of the plate to swing in: How does he do it? He developed the Chase Utley Short Swing. Ask Any Broadcaster, player, manager. Basically when you look at him, instead of extending his arms the way Raul Ibanez does, he takes a chop at the ball and his arms are so powerful this chop suffices to put the ball where he needs it to go – into the stands, let’s say.

You can imagine how much a short swinging baseball player might appeal to a long armed basketball player like President Obama? Duh. But, who would you rather be? The president or Chase Utley? Utley, right? A 7-year contract like Utley recently got from the Phillies? The president only got a 4 year contract and for a heck of a lot less money. I rest my case.