Asking me to choose the most important Phillie from 2008 is like asking me to pick my favorite child. I may love my sons in different ways, but I love them all the same amount.
That leaves us with three nominees, the core trio of the franchise’s great run between 2007-11. Let’s lay out the case for each:
In 2008, the huge first baseman led the NL in homers (48) and RBIs (146). He played in every game and finished second, to St. Louis’s Albert Pujols, for MVP. He was, without question, the batter who opposition pitchers feared the most.
On the downside, Howard was a sub-average fielder at first base. But, really, who cares? It’s like worrying that Margot Robbie might be a bad cook.
Just as importantly, Rollins provided the clubhouse spark, just as he did the season before, when he declared the Phillies, “The team to beat.” On a team of big personalities, he was the leader – even if he occasionally failed to run out a ground ball.
Utley was a good, not great, fielder at second base. He was a terrific clutch player, but so were the other two guys in this discussion back then.
None of the three players here had a particularly great post-season in 2008 – as we said, that was all about Cole Hamels. Rollins hit .237 with two homers, Utley hit .222 with three homers, and Howard hit .273 with three homers. Each would have their post-season heroics in other seasons.
So how do we decide?
Sabremetrics geeks would give this contest to Utley going away. His WAR (wins above replacement) of 9.0 was second in the NL to Pujols. Meanwhile, Rollins had a WAR of 5.5 and Howard’s was a lousy 1.8.
The problem here is that WAR substitutes math for thought, and the people who swear by it are incapable of looking at its shortcomings (or, in fact, ever telling you what stats actually go into WAR). Eight Phillies had a higher WAR than Howard in 2008 – are you really saying he was the ninth-best player on the team?
In fact, more than 80 players in the NL topped Howard’s 1.8 that year – do you honestly believe the guy with 48 homers and 146 RBIs was only the equal that season of Miami’s Alfredo Amezaga? (Yeah, I had to look him up also).
But as a total package, it’s tough to ignore Utley’s overall excellence in 2008. On a team of great players (let’s not ignore Pat Burrell, Jayson Werth and Shane Victorino), he led in OPS, on-base percentage, runs, doubles and several other offensive stats. He was the masterful three-hole hitter (the most important spot) in the league’s best lineup.
It’s a close call here. And, as I said, the Phils aren’t “World @%#&ing Champions” without any of their contributions. But for 2008, I’d take Utley – and that quote doesn’t hurt his case.