Weekend Positivity: Utley’s Strong Start

Utley’s early defense and base running flashes have Ian hopeful that his knees can withstand the 162 game season. Photo: Matt Rourke, AP One of the defining moments of my transformation from youth into adolescent was the moment I “got” Daily Affirmations with Stuart Smalley. Senator Al Franken’s over-the-top Smalley character was a perfect knock-off of the self-help fad of the late 80′s and early 90′s. His pleasantness and his belief that he was “good enough, smart enough” and that “people liked (him)” made his character an easy target for guests, including Philly favorite Charles Barkley. Today marks the launch of a new weekly column at Phillies Nation – “Weekend Positivity”, launched in part for my affinity for Daily Affirmations but in part because the Phillies are off to a poor start but there has been a number of highlights thus far. One of the standouts thus far has been second baseman Chase Utley. In four games, Utley has posted a .467/.471/.933 line with a pair of doubles, a