Chase Utley and Ryan Howard

Baseball's Dynamic Duo Can Lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a Title

Feb 28, 2007

The Phillies haven't been in the playoffs for almost fifteen years. Superstars Chase Utley and Ryan Howard may be just what the Team and the City of Philadelphia need.

Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt. It takes two. That’s right. It usually takes takes a tandem of star ballplayers to form the core of a champion. The Philadelphia Phillies have found that tandem in Ryan Howard and Chase Utley.

Last year, Howard hit .313 with 58 Home Runs and 149 RBI, and he won the MVP over Albert Pujols. Utley put up some fantastic numbers of his own: a .309 average with 32 Homers, 131 Runs Scored, and 102 RBI. Now that they have two legitimate stars (instead of none), they should seriously challenge in the National League East for years to come. Here is why.

They are. It surprised me, too. Howard and Utley put up better numbers than any other 2-3, 3-4, or 4-5 duo in the Major Leagues last year. They compiled better stats than Chicago’s Jim Thome and Jermaine Dye. They out-hit Boston’s David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. They were even better than New York's future Hall of Fame combination of Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. Being the best has to mean something. But it's not everything. Let's see what else this pair has.

Philadelphia is probably the roughest town in all of sports. The fans expect their athletes to be hard-working, tough-as-nails and media-friendly. Many talented Philly athletes have lacked one or more of these attributes, and were run out of town as a result. Never underestimate the power of the Philadelphia BOOOOOO!!!! It can ruin careers. Howard and Utley will not have this problem. These guys are right out of Central Casting: they are good-looking, friendly, competitive and dedicated to their craft.

To build a great team, you need continuity. Philadelphia will have it. Chase just signed a 7-year, $84 million contract. The Phillies have made it clear that they will sign Howard to a long-term deal within the next year. Having these two stars playing and batting side by side for the next 7-10 seasons will provide the continuity of hitting and leadership that is necessary to build a champion.

Of course, two players do not a champion make. They are necessary, but not sufficient. Like a great movie, a great team needs a supporting cast. The Phillies appear to have that. Their new rotation includes 17-game winner Freddy Garcia and former Padres star Adam Eaton. They have two of the best young arms in the game in Cole Hamels and Brett Myers, and the 44-year old Jaime Moyer is still very tough. They also have solid defense and great role players. Jimmy Rollins is a top leadoff man, who can hit for power and steal over 50 bases a season. Shane Victorino is a star on the rise, and Pat Burrell will always provide them with 30 homers and 100 RBI. That is a pretty darn good supporting cast.

Howard and Utley can't do it alone. But without them, the Phillies wouldn't have a prayer. It's going to be a good race in the NL East this year. Keep a close eye on this Dynamic Duo -- they will definitely do some very special things this year.

The copyright of the article Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in Baseball is owned by James Lincoln Ray. Permission to republish Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.