Why would Chase Utley STAY in Philadelphia?

This spring Chase Utley was coming off of two injuring riddled seasons. A large question lingering for the Philadelphia Phillies was whether or not they should re-sign the all-star second baseman who is set to be a free agent at the end of the season. 

To me that has all changed.  Utley is off to a good start, the Phillies not so much. 

2011 Phungo #26 Chase Utley

Chase Utley is batting .309 with 4 Homers and 16 RBI with an OPS+ 144 during the early part of 2013. This project to just a tick under his best career years. True he has been worthless v LHP (.200 BA/ .273 OBP/.450 SLG) to the point where he bunted to get on TWICE during the Pirates series, but the overall number still stand up.

This brings up the question with Chase Utley getting this kind of production and the Phillies treading water in neutral at best.

Why would Chase Utley want to remain with the Philliies?

The Spring Traing Q has been reversed.

The Phils keep saying they want to get younger but they don't.  Even with Utley and Ryan Howard in the lineup they are plaqued by the same issues they had in 2012 - General lack of scoring and scoring Opps and bad 7th & 8th inning relief. 

A player of Chase Utley's caliber and age (34) may not want to stick around for the Phillies youth movement and I see him both A) getting traded  and B) becoming a free ageint.  Buster Olney mentioned both the Orioles and Royals as landing spots recently.  I would love to see him play for the O's as they are the Team Phungo AL home team.  I really can't stand to see him go but that would soften the blow.

- signed Phungo 2 Cents

Phungo Cards 
Some other Chase Utley Phungo Cards
2013 Phungo #26 Chase Utley (scroll down)
2012 Phungo #26 Chase Utley
2009 Phungo #26 Chase Utley

Links
Chase Utley Player Collection Index
    

TAXES!!! - ticket Tax that is or "Convenience Fee"?

Ok Convenience Fees and Order Charges are not Taxes, but they feel like Taxes.

This is easily noticed when you pick up tix from your favorite team, the prices never seem to be what they was originally advertised.  I did a little research to find out what these hidden fees amount to and how they can affect the consumer.  Here is what I found.

PHILLIES	Face	Final Cost	Hidden Fees	Hid Fee %	Conv Fee	Per Order Charge	Notes
SRO $17/Tix Single	$17.00	$24.00	$7.00	41%	$2.50	$4.50	4/10 v Mets Cheapest
SRO $17/Tix x 2	$34.00	$43.50	$9.50	28%	$5.00	$4.50	4/10 v Mets
section 421 Row 2 - $30/tix	$60.00	$72.50	$12.50	21%	$8.00	$4.50	4/10 v Mets Upper Plate
Sec 130 r 9 - $70/Tix x 2	$140.00	$154.50	$14.50	10%	$10.00	$4.50	4/10 v Mets Lower Plate
ORIOLES	Face	final	hidden	hid %	conv	order	notes
Sec 336 r 19 Up $9 Single	$9.00	$14.75	$5.75	64%	$1.75	$4.00	4/16 v Rays Cheapest Tix
Sec 336 r 19 Up $9 2 tix	$18.00	$25.50	$7.50	42%	$3.50	$4.00	4/16 v Rays Cheapest Tix
Sec 54 r 12 $60	$120.00	$139.50	$19.50	16%	$15.50	$4.00	4/16 v Rays Lower
NATIONALS	Face	final	hidden	hid %	conv	order	notes
Sec 403 r L single tix	$10.00	$15.75	$5.75	58%	$1.75	$4.00	4.22 v Cardinals
Sec 404 r M x 2 tix	$20.00	$27.50	$7.50	38%	$3.50	$4.00	4.22 v Cardinals
Sec 312 r G x 2tix	$48.00	$60.50	$12.50	26%	$8.50	$4.00	4.22 v Cardinals
Sec 116 r C x 2tix	$130.00	$151.50	$21.50	17%	$17.50	$4.00	4.22 v Cardinals
BRAVES	Face	final	hidden	hid %	conv	order	notes
SRO single	$6.00	$9.60	$3.60	60%	$1.50	$2.10	4/16 v Royals
SRO two tix	$12.00	$17.10	$5.10	43%	$3.00	$2.10	4/16 v Royals
sec 402 r 16 x2	$24.00	$30.60	$6.60	28%	$4.50	$2.10	4/16 v Royals
sec 104R r19	$136.00	$151.60	$15.60	11%	$13.50	$2.10	4/16 v Royals
METS	Face	final	hidden	hid %	conv	order	notes
Sec 534 r 3 x2	$13.00	$20.75	$7.75	60%	$1.75	$6.00	4/23 v Dodgers
Sec 534 r 3 x2	$26.00	$35.50	$9.50	37%	$3.50	$6.00	4/23 v Dodgers
sec 114 r9 x 2	$170.00	$194.50	$24.50	14%	$18.50	$6.00	4/23 v Dodgers
YANKEES	Face	final	hidden	hid %	conv	order	notes
Sec 420B r11 single $6	$6.00	$9.30	$3.30	55%	$0.00	$3.30	Special $5 for MasterCard Tickest for selected Tues
Sec 425 r8  two tix $6	$12.00	$15.30	$3.30	28%	$0.00	$3.30	$5 Master card offer as above
Sec 225 r3 two tix 155.00	$310.00	$328.10	$18.10	6%	$18.10	$0.00	4/15 v Diamondbacks
sec 20 r 7 two tix 700	$1,400.00	$1,439.40	$39.40	3%	$39.40	$0.00	4/15 v Diamondbacks
Wilmington Blue Rocks	Face	final	hidden	hid %	conv	order	notes
Reserved Seat single	$9.00	$10.50	$1.50	17%		$1.50	4/15 v Carolina
Reserved Seat X2	$18.00	$21.00	$3.00	17%		$3.00
Reading Phillies	Face	final	hidden	hid %	conv	order	notes
Boxed Seat	$11.00	$14.00	$3.00	27%	1	$2.00	4/15 v Harrisburg
Boxed Seat x2	$22.00	$26.00	$4.00	18%	2	$2.00

I took a look at The Phillies and their brethren NL East as well as Yankees and Orioles largely because they are within reasonable commuting distance. I also included some local minor league teams.

For each team I looked into the cheapest ticket, an Upper level behind the plate ticket and a pricy lower level ticket. All games are for weeknights - generally the teams next home game on a school night.

I don't think anything here will shock fans. The ticket fees are generally the same regardless of the base cost of the ticket.  If there is one thing that is surprising it is how much extra one pays on a convenience fees for a "budget:" ticket vs swanky seats behind the dugouts.

The Phillies have $7 in ticket fees on a $17 SRO tix.  That bumps up the cost of the original ticket by 41% to a cost of $24.  If you have the funds to purchase two tix in the lower level your fees on a pair of $70 tix are $14.50.  The hidden fee pct is only 10%. So yes in this case the 1% due fair better than us schlubs that are just happy to get into a game.

The Orioles had the most egregious markup - there $9 upper level tickets actually cost close to $15 on line. The hidden fees amount to 64% of the original price.

Just for fun I looked into some Yankees Legends seats.  The ticket fees themselves were $39.40!!!!

Of course those cost $1400 for a pair, therefore the ticket fees are only 3%. 

There are some other ticket fees that varied on how you wanted the tix delivered.  The Braves were the first team that had an upcharge for Will-Call tix.  The Yankees had several different ticket delivery options and prices.  It is interesting to note that the Yankees offer a $6 ticket on Tuesday Nights if your a Mastercard holder. 

I should also note that these ticket fees can likely be saved by purchasing tickets at the stadium, although this may not be possible day of the game if there is the prospect of a sellout.

I honestly don't mind the hidden fees, but I wish the teams would be more up front about the fees.  Rather than nickel and diming a fan like an airline I would prefer they just tell me the tix price up front.  Stubhub has moved to this format - right away you know what your spending as opposed to navigating through several screens to find out your $15 tix is really going to be $25. 

2012 Topps Value Box - Is it a Value??

For The Collector - Value Box??? 


The Box claims there is a 40% Savings - Is this true.   


Lets do the math. 
5 x $1.99 for five Topps Pack = $9.95
2 x $4.00* for two Hobby Heritage =  $8.00 

2 bonus cards = $3.05

Ok I cheated on the Mantle card and the bonus and made up a number.  All 3 chrome cards are gong for $3.99 and up on the bay.  The GG cards are going for a buck each.  $3.05 is a conservative estimate.  Has anybody actually sold one of the chrome inserts on ebay?? 


*also I assumed a cost of $4 on the Heritage Hobby.  Not sure what single packs are going for this year.  I am just going off past experience.   


That gives us $21.00.  The Box lists for $14.99.  There is a savings of $6.01. 

This comes down to where you call the savings number at - if it is off of $21 your savings is only 28%, however if you specify $14.99 as the base then the savings is.....40%


etc

oh yeah there are cards in the box - here is the chrome insert

Thats a teaser more content tomorrow. 

Phungo 2 Cents: 2012 Topps Design FOILED AGAIN

Today we look at Foil.  Unlike most folks, I don't have a huge problem with foil as a design element.  Sometimes it looks ncie, often it is overused.  It can also be confusting - Remember 2008s Gold and Silver Foil which appeared so similar.

The biggest problem I see with Foil is This

1994 Topps #34 Nolan Ryan

1994 Topps #310 Robin Yount

1994 is the last time that Topps has issued a base set without foil.  Back then both Nolan Ryan and Robin Yount were in the set.  Now they are in the Hall of Fame. 

To give you an idea of how long ago that was, Yount's Brewers were still in the AL.  

The last time Topps didn't foil their base set they were still issuing cards of Nolan Ryan, who they had issued cards of back in the 1960s.  (Ryan retired prior to the 1994 season) 

When the last non-foil set was issued in 1994 The D-Backs and Devil Rays were yet to play a game.  Derek Jeter had won a grand total of zero world series and the Red Sox were Still Cursed.     

Topps has issued 18 consecutive years of base sets with Foil - and in 1994 they as well as well as a few years prior foiled cards were issued as parallels.

In short after 2 decades Foil has become tired.  Sometimes Opening Day looks refreshing or even better because of the lack of foiil.

The Foling of 2012 Topps isn't even that bad - it doesn't scan well, but I don't think that is something that is really complaint worthy.  The scanning issues against Topps because it makes it harrd to discuss the cards, but in hand the player names are readable. 

But falling back on foil as a design element year after year is lazy cardmaking. 

#########################
Full Disclosure

Here is a look back at our previous 2012 Topps postings 

2012 Topps Review - Its a Like
First Look

Whats the Position Topps???
Hanger Pack Phils
Hanger Pack All-Stars
Topps Back-loading Stars into Series 2
2012 Topps v 2002 Topps Football

On Deck:   Snapshots - Talking Topps Photography

Phungo 2 Cents: Whats Your Position Topps??

Muy first complaint with the 2012 Topps design is that the player position is not present. 

2012 Topps #150 Roy Halladay

(image stolen from The Phillies Room - or else you'd be seeing Vance Worely again)

From 1953 until 1986 The Players Position appeared on the player base cards every single year but one (1972).   That is 33 out of 34 issues.  Recently Topps has been more hit or miss with the postion.  In the three years prior to 2012 the position was present.  Both 2007 and 2008 did not contain player postion on the card. 

In such a minimalist design I think it would be easy and nice to add the Position somewhere.  This once again leads me back to the conclusion that 2012 Topps was ripped off of 2002 Topps Football - which also did not have player position. 

lazy topps.

Full Disclosure

Here is a look back at our previous 2012 Topps postings 

2012 Topps Review - Its a Like
First Look
Hanger Pack Phils
Hanger Pack All-Stars
Topps Back-loading Stars into Series 2
2012 Topps v 2002 Topps Football

Next Up on our 2012 Topps discussion - Foil

Phungo 2 Cents: I like 2012 Topps

Notice I say Like - I don't LOVE it, it is a reserved like.  

So what if the design is stolen from 2002 Topps Football, I still ended up liking it. 

A lot of my opinons on everything seems to be based on expectationis, Movies, Music, Books, TV, Linsanity etc.  If something gets overhyped - my expectations will quash it.  Somethings ridiculously panned inevitably I find something about it to like.  I blame myself for this a little - I really enjoy reading reviews and opinions...on everything.   

But part of expectation setting is due to our overexposed world.  I will likely never again see a baseball card design that hasn't been teased on-line for the past 6 months.  I mean when did we first see 2012 Topps - probably before Thanksgiving - certainly prior to the Ryan Braun PED issue emerged.

2012 Topps #307 Vance Worley


Therefore I have seen the 2011 Topps design since clear back in the fall of 2011, which is roughly an eon in internet time.  I have also seen maybe two dozen of this years cards prior to release. 

In a word I initially thought the design was dull. 

This is where expectations come in - A few weeks ago when I got the actual cards in my hands, I liked them.  I had low expectations base on prelease materials and I think largely because of this, I was like hey these aren't bad looking. 


Typically I don't like minimalist design on cards, but some of these designs grow on me.  2012 Topps makes me think of 1961 Topps - There isn't much to it but it is funcitonal.  Maybe it didn't  require much imaginations - and it does make me wonder which designs were rejected.  Regardless I like it well enough.  I like the pictures and I like the fact the design carries quietly through to the card reverse.


I wanted to get this post up because in the future I will speak to some issues that I don't like about the set such as Foil, Gimmicks, and Inserts.  


Full Disclosure


Here is a look back at our previous 2012 Topps postings 


First Look
Hanger Pack Phils
Hanger Pack All-Stars
Topps Back-loading Stars into Series 2
2012 Topps v 2002 Topps Football