Mentoring a perennial All-Star who has already established himself as one of the game's elite second baseman is rather low on Sandberg's list of responsibilities as the new manager at Triple A Lehigh Valley. But talk to both men, and talk to the people who have seen them both play, and they will tell you that the partnership can result in nothing but positives.
In fact, as Utley attempts to avoid the injuries that plagued him in 2008 and '10, Sandberg might be able to offer some valuable guidance.
"Chase does a lot of diving," said Phillies senior adviser Dallas Green, who was the Cubs' general manager when he acquired Sandberg from Philadelphia in 1982. "Diving for balls that even if he caught the thing, he's going to have a hell of a time throwing a guy out. I think that part of the game, Ryne had a feel that it wasn't worth the dive. He dove, obviously, particularly with a man on second that might score a run, he's going to dive and knock it down.
"Chase dives at a lot of balls that really, when you break it down and you look at it, you say, 'Chase, why'd you do that, because you aren't going to throw the guy out anyway?' All you do is take a chance on getting hurt, banged up, and I would say that would be part of something that Ryne could help him with. It's kind of a small thing, but your body takes a hell of a beating."
According to Sandberg, he and Utley have already discussed philosophies on staying fresh for the duration of a 162-game season. In the first 11 years of Sandberg's career, which included an MVP award and nine Gold Gloves, only once did the second baseman play fewer than 153 games.
