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The Phillies traded shortstop Jimmy Rollins to the Dodgers this past offseason, sending him away from the only team and organization he had known. Now, as 2015 begins to wind down, the Phils similarly dealt Chase Utley to Los Angeles, reuniting the longtime double play partners and giving them one more chance at that second championship that never came with the Phillies.
Rollins was drafted by Philadelphia in the second round back in 1996, while Utley was a first-round selection in 2000. Just in the majors, there is a combined 28 years of service with the Phillies between the two that includes well over 3,600 total games, 449 homers, nine All-Star appearances, four Gold Gloves, an MVP, two World Series and one World Series title. Utley and Rollins were the living definition of a successful team built up the middle, and while their days of dominating the opposition are behind them, the pair still have plenty to offer: Rollins has started to pick things up offensively, batting .262/.316/.452 over his last 33 games, while Utley is hitting .295/.354/.432 since his early-season slump ended in mid-May.
The Dodgers are only two games up in the NL West and have six more losses than the Wild Card-leading Pirates and two more than the Cubs, who hold the second spot at present. There is too much season left to say they need to win the NL West to get to the postseason, but their chances are certainly better, and even more so now that Utley is around. Now it’s just too bad they didn’t pry Shane Victorino from the Red Sox before the Angels managed to.
- Here are Chase Utley's 10 greatest moments on the Phillies, not all of which came on the field.
- Josh Donaldson might very well win the AL's MVP award, but there are still those -- like Jesse Spector -- who believe the A's were right to deal him for big-picture purposes.
- Ben Cherington had failures as the Red Sox general manager -- every GM does -- but he also had successes that go beyond a 2013 championship season. Some change was needed in the front office, though, and getting Dave Dombrowski and his lack of attachment to the roster could end up being just what the Sox need.
- Cherington went from a World Series parade to unemployment in two years, and Grant Brisbee explains how it all went down.
- Yasiel Puig won't be going on the disabled list for his hamstring after all.
- This magical baseball hit the ground, then somehow bounced up and took off Mike Napoli's helmet. Napoli would later get revenge on baseballs by hitting this one to the literal last row in center field at Globe Life Park.
- You know you live in the future when we have to ask if Ned Yost's Apple Watch is against MLB rules.
- The Padres made a gorgeous double play that included a barehand stab and a glove flip.
- Daniel Norris broke one of Wrigley Field's new scoreboards during batting practice, and then hit the first ever homer by an American League pitcher at Wrigley.
- In less exciting news, Norris then landed on the DL with an oblique strain.
- Terry Francona flipped off the NESN camera crew on live television, because he is a treasure.
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