Time to walk Utley?

[ThaKoolAidKid]

With all that he is doing, is it time to pitch around Utley to keep the Philly offense down a little? Also the fact that he is tied with one Mr. October and shouldnt be allowed to take that title should come into account as well.

What do you think?

[JavyVazquezIsSick]

Time to hit Utley with a baseball.

[ThaKoolAidKid]

Time to hit Utley with a baseball.

Damn. Should've made that an option.

[gill2k]

Time to hit Utley with a baseball.

Ding, we have a winner!!!

[Poeman]

Go Piazza on him? lol

[Ssacco08]

Time to hit Utley with a baseball.

I've been saying this all series. I screamed it at the TV after his second HR last night.

[effdamets]

Suggesting that Yankee pitchers hit Utley is not cool.

Pitch him way in? OK. Try to get the ball off the handle? OK.

Hit him? No.

[Ssacco08]

Maybe not hit him, but send him a message. He's way too comfortable in there. Throw one in and back him off the plate a bit.

[Panamaniac42]

Don't even have to throw at his head or anything, just make him dance.

[JavyVazquezIsSick]

Suggesting that Yankee pitchers hit Utley is not cool.

Pitch him way in? OK. Try to get the ball off the handle? OK.

Hit him? No.

Grow some balls. They hit A-Rod 3 times. Jesus Christ.

[ThaKoolAidKid]

Grow some balls. They hit A-Rod 3 times. Jesus Christ.

And then they get pissed when Victorino is hit once on something that was his fault! He could have pulled the bat back. I guarantee you if it was the other way around that there would be a huge deal about Yankee pitchers taking out Phillies unjustly.

[jeterdaman]

Maybe not hit him, but send him a message. He's way too comfortable in there. Throw one in and back him off the plate a bit.

I love this nonsense that by getting hit all of a sudden a Major League batter, especially one of Utley's ability, is all of a sudden going to have shaky feet and start bailing out on every pitch that is thrown to him because he thinks it's going to hit him.

It hasn't worked for Arod.

[MTYankee23]

Definitely need to start working him up and in, and definitely need to pitch around him if they're going to leave Howard protecting him with 2 lefties starting the next two games.

[effdamets]

Grow some balls. They hit A-Rod 3 times. Jesus Christ.

It has nothing to do with having balls or growing balls.
Plunking a guy on purpose is not what the Yankees need to do.

If they hit A-Rod three times on purpose, that ain't cool either.
The way to get them back for doing that is to have the guy behind A-Rod drive him in with a hit.

[NYYDragoon]

He needs to be backed up. And yes, he should be walked in big spots.

[JavyVazquezIsSick]

It has nothing to do with having balls or growing balls.
Plunking a guy on purpose is not what the Yankees need to do.

If they hit A-Rod three times on purpose, that ain't cool either.
The way to get them back for doing that is to have the guy behind A-Rod drive him in with a hit.

Going up and in, maybe hitting Utley is what they need to do. Obviously, he is very comfortable at the plate right now, I'd do my best to make him feel uncomfortable.

[Bub]

Going up and in, maybe hitting Utley is what they need to do. Obviously, he is very comfortable at the plate right now, I'd do my best to make him feel uncomfortable.

Putting some Icy Hot in the protective cup works pretty well.

[gill2k]

My only concern with this is retaliation from Pedro. Guaranteed he'll throw one at A-Rod's head if we plunk Utley.

[effdamets]

Going up and in, maybe hitting Utley is what they need to do. Obviously, he is very comfortable at the plate right now, I'd do my best to make him feel uncomfortable.

But see - I feel as though THIS statement is greatly different than plunking the guy on purpose.

When you make a guy feel uncomfortable in the batters box, you are setting him up to try to get him out. I like that.
Plunking the guy on purpose, is giving him a base without further plan to get him out.
Not to mention, running the risk of getting the pitcher and manager tossed from an important game.

[snoogans]

My only concern with this is retaliation from Pedro. Guaranteed he'll throw one at A-Rod's head if we plunk Utley.

But with an 89 mph fastball, A-Rod gets out of the way. And if he did that, Pedro doesn't get out of the Bronx alive. Seriously, the place would be a madhouse if that happened.

They need to re-establish the inside of the plate. All of the Phillies batters stand on top of the plate, especially the lefties. Throw in, make them move. The reluctance to go inside to the lefties is mind boggling.

[NewEraYanks2527]

Suggesting that Yankee pitchers hit Utley is not cool.

Pitch him way in? OK. Try to get the ball off the handle? OK.

Hit him? No.

You may have a great user name but I have to disagree with this post.

Great pitchers knocked people down, made hitters uncomfortable and took back the outside part of the plate. Some sweet chin music would do Utley some good. He is way too comfortable, just like Ortiz had gotten for a while against the Yankees.

Put him on his ass and that's all there is to it.

[NewEraYanks2527]

But see - I feel as though THIS statement is greatly different than plunking the guy on purpose.

When you make a guy feel uncomfortable in the batters box, you are setting him up to try to get him out. I like that.
Plunking the guy on purpose, is giving him a base without further plan to get him out.
Not to mention, running the risk of getting the pitcher and manager tossed from an important game.

Also if you hit Utley first and Pedro retaliates there is a good chance Pedro, not Petttitte gets thrown out of the game and then the Yankees would have to face that bullpen...

[effdamets]

You may have a great user name but I have to disagree with this post.

Great pitchers knocked people down, made hitters uncomfortable and took back the outside part of the plate. Some sweet chin music would do Utley some good. He is way too comfortable, just like Ortiz had gotten for a while against the Yankees.

Put him on his ass and that's all there is to it.

Getting outs is the number one priority for a pitcher.
Plunking a guy on purpose is not a strategy for an out.
That's all I'm saying.

[NewEraYanks2527]

Getting outs is the number one priority for a pitcher.
Plunking a guy on purpose is not a strategy for an out.
That's all I'm saying.

I have to disagree. Hitting a guy once and taking back the inside part of the plate can lead to more important outs later in the game.

[effdamets]

I have to disagree. Hitting a guy once and taking back the inside part of the plate can lead to more important outs later in the game.

I am not one to condone hitting a guy but your strategy works during the regular season.
Not in the post season.
You want to "take care" of Utley in that manner it should wait.
Now - the Yankees need a better strategy to getting him out.