"You have to wade through Davey Lopes' thoughts on the Phillies' baserunning this season before you get to it, but there it is: "Chase has had some problems with his knee, and Jayson has had a horrendous slump for the last month or so," the Phillies' first base coach said in an interview at BaseballProspectus.com "So I think that once they just get back to hitting, and back to winning—these things help us win. When you get on base and the opposition presents you with an opportunity to steal a base—if we don't capitalize, we're only defeating what we're built around." The first eight words, of course, are what will most interest Phillies fans, many of whom have spent the past month swearing that there is something physically wrong with the team's star second baseman and No. 3 hitter. Much of the speculation has surrounded Utley's hip, which was surgically repaired after the 2008 season. Utley has denied that he is injured, although he said the same things when he was battling hip problems in 2008. And Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has said repeatedly that he has talked to his second baseman and believes that his health is not impacting his play." http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/Lopes_mentions_Utley_knee_problems.html#axzz0rEQ2bj00
