Chase Utley may not be playing any longer, but his ghost continues to haunt the New York Mets.
Over the years, Chase Utley owned the New York Mets. He posted a .281/.374/.526 batting line in 815 plate appearances against New York, hitting 39 homers and 46 doubles. That production, coupled with his vicious slide into Ruben Tejada during the 2015 NLDS, made Utley Public Enemy #1 amongst Mets fans.
However, Utley was a player that the Mets faithful had to figure would no longer torment them. He retired following the 2018 season, ending a long and storied career with the Phillies and the Dodgers. For the Mets, that was supposed to be the end of their nightmares.
Except that it was not. Utley managed to torment New York yet again on Monday with his bat, even though he is no longer an active player. Instead, it was Enrique Hernandez, who used one of his former teammate’s bats to hit a three run homer in the Dodgers 9-5 victory over the Mets.
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Hernandez certainly needed any help he could get heading into that contest. Prior to May 27, he had produced a meager .217/.302/.386 batting line in 189 plate appearances, striking out 47 times with just 19 walks. That breakout season that Hernandez had last year feels far more distant than just last year.
Naturally, when facing the Mets, Hernandez sought out a way to break out of his season long slump. In turning to Utley’s bat, one that had long tormented the Mets, he had to hope that there was still a bit of magic left. Even if it was only for one night, Utley was able to haunt the Mets once more.
Maybe all Hernandez needed to turn his season around was that one hit. It was his first homer in 19 days, and just the second home run he had hit in the month of May. Perhaps, by using that bat and getting a different feel at the plate, Hernandez is ready to snap out of his slump.
If nothing else, he was a pawn in Chase Utley’s newest way to torment the New York Mets. This time, Utley did not even need to do anything on the diamond.