Fantasy Rant...

What in God's name is the matter with Charlie Manuel? Does he want the fans of Philadelphia to get around to slashing his tires and keying his car sooner rather than later? Does he think Phillies fans and Philadelphians in general are just quiet, laid-back fans? Did Chase Utley offend Manuel's wife one day?

If you haven't already heard, Manuel decided on the last possible day that he was going to split time at second base between Utley and Placido Polanco. Because, you know the .329 average, the 5 homers, the 9 RBI, and a stolen base during spring training showed he was just struggling to limp through training. (That would be sarcasm, friends.) Polanco was no pushover in training, but Utley bettered him across the board nearly, has all the upside in the world, and even the management --- including the GM of the Phillies --- supports Utley as the unanimous choice for 2B. But, no, no, no, Charlie Manuel has fallen under the sexual sway of the seductive name of Placido Polanco.

Odds are Polanco will struggle at some point in the season, or will have a nagging injury sometime or another (most veterans do during the season eventually), or the management of the Phillies will get onto Manuel with enough pressure to give Utley a few more at-bats. It's still our belief that Manuel can't be that dumb not to see Utley's HUGE upside, and give him at least 400+ ABs this year. Don't be so foolish or rash to drop Utley immediately knowing Manuel plans to play him half-time. It shouldn't last too - too long. Plans at the beginning of the season rarely last through May.