The Philadelphia Phillies offensive inconsistencies in 2011 frustrated fans and team management and ultimately led to their early elimination in the playoffs. A place that really hurt the Phillies was the number 3 spot in the lineup. Chase Utley, Philadelphia’s primary number 3 hitter, had the worst season of his career while battling a knee issue. Utley will be a key factor in the Phillies offensive production in 2012, but can he rebound and be counted on to produce like the Chase Utley of old?Utley hit .259 with 11 homeruns and 44 RBI’s in 103 games in 2011. A far cry from his 162 game career average of .290, 27 homeruns, and 101 RBI’s. One could argue that the issues he had with his knee was the only contributing factor to his decline. But is there is more to it?The 33 year old played nearly every day and never looked to be in pain, never hesitated diving for a ball, or gave any other sign that he was in pain. In addition, he even stole 14 bases and was not caug...
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