Given how clueless he comes across as on just about everything else, President Bush gives surprisingly cogent and knowledgeable answers whenever he is asked a baseball question.

Witness his answer in an interview with Politico.com/Yahoo (his first ever “interview with the internet”), when asked which position player and which starting pitcher he would pick first if he were starting a team, everyone was a free agent, and he had an unlimited budget.

I’ll give you three guesses for each player, and I bet you’d be wrong on all six tries.

The President’s answers? Chase Utley and Roy Halladay.

What mades these answers so surprising/unsettling/super creepy for me is that those are exactly the two answers I would have given, and that those are almost certainly not the kind of super big name answers the vast majority of baseball fans or mainstream analysts would give.

Especially Roy Halladay. I mean, he pitches in Canada. Do you think Joe Morgan even knows who Roy Halladay is?

But Utley too. Sure, Utley is a rising star, and he’s coming on strong in a big way this year, but I don’t think we can really say he is a household name yet, at least outside of Philly. Fantasy geeks might pick Utley, but I can guarantee you 99 percent of the mainstream media would pick someone else, and 98 percent of those picks would be Pujols, A-Rod, or Jeter.

But perhaps even more unsettling than Bush giving such intelligent answers is the fact that he actually backs up his answers with not-nonsensical reasons. Seeing Bush support claims with actual logic and reasoning was quite a shock to my system, and I’m not sure if I’ve recovered yet.

Let’s look at the transcript (a video is also available on Yahoo Sports):

Q: Mr. President, I know you’re going to hate this, but I’m hoping that we may twist your arm and talk about baseball for just a moment. (Laughter.) Mr. President, you’re a Major League Baseball team owner again. Everyone is a free agent. You have a Yankees-like wallet. Who is your first position player? Who’s your pitcher?

THE PRESIDENT: That’s a great question. I like Utley from the Philadelphia Phillies. He’s a middle infielder, which is always — you know, they say you have to have strength up the middle — there’s nothing better than having a good person up the middle that can hit. And Roy Halladay from the Toronto Blue Jays is a great pitcher. He’s a steady guy, he burns up innings. And I’m sure I’m leaving some other good ones out, but those –

Q: We thought you were going to go A-Rod, Josh Beckett.

THE PRESIDENT: Josh Beckett is good, yes, he’s real good, too. I mean, look, that’s a tough question to answer on the fly like this, Michael.

Here we can clearly see that the president follows the game quite closely. He has some idea that Utley’s marginal value compared to other middle infielders makes him perhaps the most valuable player in the game right now, and that Roy Halladay has been a tremendously reliable starter whose true greatness has been obscured by pitching in Toronto.

We also see that the interviewer has know idea who either player is, the way he is taken aback, and doesn’t really know what to say other than to suggest the two most obvious names known to any person living in the East Coast Bias Zone (in fact, the actual transcript from Politico.com misspells Utley’s name as “Ottley”).

At first I was tempted to assume that Bush must have had the questions in advance and was pre-coached on the answers, as he so often is for actual political issues. But then I realized that no populistic, politically-minded answers-coach would ever tell the President to pick Utley and Halladay.

Whatever else you want to say about our President, you have to give him his due: the man really does know baseball. Now if only he knew anything about anything else.

Yesterday the Phillies took a six run lead into the eighth inning and blew it. They were the first team to blow a lead that large that late this season.

[APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]

But here’s the crazy thing: it wasn’t even the fault of the Phillies’ bullpen. At least, not entirely. The majority of the Braves’ hits were, in the words of the guy on Sports Center, “a collection of bleeders, bloops and choppers.”

In other words, the Phils were unlucky.

Now, I’m not trying to make excuses for the Phillies. They have terrible pitching. Everybody knows it.

But yesterday’s loss was much more disheartening than your typical blown save.

We know the Phillies are going to win despite their pitching, not because of it. And if they make the post season, it will be on the strength of Ryan Howard’s bat, not Adam Eaton’s arm.

We know the Phillies will have to overcome a bullpen that is the worst in baseball.

But yesterday it wasn’t just Jose Mesa’s arm that betrayed the Phils. It was fate. It was destiny. And if you’re Ryan Howard, you’ve got to be thinking to yourself, “How do I overcome that?”

Speaking of the Phils offense…wow. They’re just silly good right now. And that sheds some light on just how bad Philadelphia’s pitching has been.

Among the offensive highlights:

• The Phillies have three candidates for NL MVP — Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins.
• Utley has a legit chance at the batting title. He’s hitting .341 with a .421 OBP.
• Howard leads the league in RBI and is second in homers, despite a terrible start to the season and a DL stint.
• Jimmy Rollins ranks first in the NL in runs (120). He’s raised his AVG nine points in the last 10 games (.296). And he’s got rediculous power for a leadoff hitter (25 HR).
• After compiling the second lowest AVG in baseball during the first have of the season(.215), Pat Burrell has one of the highest in the second half (.329). Not to mention his .405 OBP.
• Jayson Werth, who is filling in for the injured Shane Victorino, is hitting .323 with an OBP of .422. He’ll be starting for somebody next season.
• Aaron Rowand, who everybody thought was a first-half fluke, continues to hit .313 with 23 HR and a .381 OBP. Two words: contract year.

All of this is to say that, no matter how awesome your offense is, it’s hard to overcome bad pitching. And after a game like yesterday’s, I’m starting to think that the Phillies, despite prolific hitting, won’t be able to do it. That’s why I’m stepping up and making the bold prediction that next year, finally, will be the Phillies’ year.

You heard it here first.

I’ve been absent from this here blog, and you can thank the horrendous thing that is Strep Throat for that. Fully recovered, I figured the best and easiest way for me to come back into action was a good ol’ “Random Links” post. Of course, with all these antibiotics, doctor’s visits, and so on, I couldn’t stay away from the medical theme. Well, O.K., a dentist is not necesarily a doctor, but I digress.

• Some weirdo in San Francisco is going to “lifecast” from this year’s All-Star game. This is the story of a sad man who happened to watch to many ears being eaten alive by Mike Tyson. The same man whose “only claim to fame” was his attendance to the game where Barry (or is it Brian?) Bonds hit his record-setting 73rd home run of the 2001 season. He was a few rows behind the guy that caught the ball (and the other guy that sued him for it). Now he wants to hook up to a webcam and a wireless laptop to beam his life to all and all. No matter that justin.tv (left) is now broadcasting 11 different channels, and that Justine Ezarik is a girl, who’s blond, and is also doing the same thing. No, Dr. Doug: Baseball Hunter will be different. (Never mind that the actual lifecast of the game will be blacked out, and that Dr. Doug, a dentist, has to check back with his disapproving wife and root canal patients).

• It doesn’t matter that you’re the youngest player to reach the 100 home run mark. You gotta get educated.

• And speaking of Brian, er, Boris, I mean, Barry, Dontrelle Willis isn’t scared that the Marlins could be the team against which Bonds hits big seven-five-six.

• Hmmm. The Twins’ new stadium may end up costing people in Minnesota (aka, taxpayers) a bit more than anticipated. About $8 mil more $10 mill more, and all thanks to those $320-an-hour attorneys. Don’t they know why the A’s continue to lead the way when it comes to…ugh, you know what I mean.

• For a minute there, Jason Bergman found comfort in knowing that all those sharpshooters scattered throughout RFK stadium where there for protection. Too bad his offense didn’t do the same, the Nats lost 4-2.

• This isn’t the Adam LaRoche of old; his aggressive attitude is paying dividends for the Pirates. His production his up, his average is up, he’s even swinging at 3-0 pitches. I wonder…

• And forget Polow Da Don, everybody knows “THE KING” of white girls is Chase Utley.

Somebody had to say it. So SI’s Albert Chen said it. And what he said was, “it’s time to bench Craig Biggio”  — or something to that effect.

From SI’s “Fungoes” blog:

Biggio is Houston’s leadoff hitter and everyday second baseman, and he is hitting .237 with a .284 on-base percentage. This is not simply the case of a slow start; last year, the 41-year-old hit .264/.325/.468, and only .178/.253/.388 on the road. His speed is fading, and his defense is now subpar. The time has come: On the cusp of the 3,000 hits, Craig Biggio must sit. Biggio should no longer be an everyday player. The punchless Astros rank 22nd in the majors in runs scored and have scored two runs or fewer in five of their first 19 games, and Biggio isn’t helping.

What do you think? Is it time for Biggio to pass the torch? Chen says Astros prospect Hunter Pence is more than ready to take Biggio’s spot in the Astros’ lineup. And if Pence’s stats are to be believed, Chen is right.

But Pence is not the next Biggio. Pence plays center field (he would bump Chris Burke to second). The next Biggio is already here. But he doesn’t play for the Astros. He plays for the Phillies. And his name is Chase Utley.

Consider this: Both Utley and Biggio play second base (though Biggio started his career at catcher and briefly attempted to play the outfield). Going into last night’s games, Utley led the NL in being hit by pitches. Biggio has the all-time record. Going into last night’s game, Utley led the NL in doubles (he hit two more last night). Biggio was only the second player to hit 50 doubles and steal 50 bases in a season. Both are speedy guys who bring an unprecedented level of focus and hustle. Both like to get dirty. Both lead by example.

I mean, I’m sure they’ve got their differences (one’s a little more country, one’s a little more rock and roll), but the similarities are remarkable. And considering how hard it’s going to be to say goodbye to Biggio, it’s nice to know that there’s somebody else already in the league who’s bringing it Biggio-style every night.

Sorry ladies, but Chase Utley is off the market. He got hitched to his college sweetheart, Jennifer.

Utley’s marriage is a story the Philadelphia media has paid a lot of attention to, mostly because it served as a nice human interest angle to the more important story: Utley’s new long-term contract.

So we’ve learned all about how Chase and Jennifer met, where they went on their first date, where they got married, who was invited, where they went on their honeymoon, etc.

But back to how they met. Chase and his bride-to-be were introduced by….drumroll please…Freddie Mitchell!! From the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Chase Utley was in town yesterday, and he brought the best catch he ever made with him - his new bride, Jennifer.

They met as undergrads at UCLA. Freddie Mitchell introduced them.

Yes, that Freddie Mitchell.

“It was Valentine’s Day 2000,” Jennifer explained on the day her man passed his physical and officially signed a seven-year, $85 million contract with the Phillies.

Mitchell, Utley and Jennifer Cooper were all in the same social policy class. In addition to catching passes for the Bruins’ football team, Mitchell, who later became a receiver and cartoon character with the Eagles, played a little baseball with Utley at UCLA.

After class that day, Utley pointed to Cooper and said he’d like to meet her.

“Oh, I know her,” Mitchell said with his typical I-just-want-to-thank-my-hands-for-being-so-great modesty.

Mitchell made the introduction - then hit up Jennifer for a ride home. Before long, Utley had a date with Ms. Cooper, and he even managed to get a second one after calling her Jessica on their first night out.

Ooooh, I can’t believe he rebounded from calling his girl the wrong name. That’s usually a deal-breaker. But more importantly, Freddie Mitchell! Do you think he was invited to the wedding?

I think Freddy needs to get his own reality show, “The Matchmaker.” I can just see him now: “I’m Freddy Mitchell. Whether it comes to running routs or making matches, I’ve got great instincts. I’d like to thank my instincts for being so great and helping me make that match and all the other great matches I’ve made. I love my instincts.”

The Detroit Tigers took a good look around. They saw what other pitchers were getting paid on the free-agent market. And they decided they didn’t want to find out how much Jeremy Bonderman would make when became a free agent after the 2007 season. So they signed their hard-throwing SP to a contract extension.

MLB.com writer Mike Bauman thinks the Tigers got a bargain.

Now Phillies GM Pat Gillick says his team is getting ready to do the same for SP Brett Myers, 2B Chase Utley and 1B Ryan “MVP” Howard.

All of which begs the question: is it EVER a bad idea to sign players to extensions before they hit free agency? I say: short answer no, with a but; long answer yes, with a however.

NO, it’s never a bad idea to sign a good player to a contract extention, BUT you need to make sure the player is actually a good player.  

YES, it can be a bad idea if you sign a dud to a huge deal; HOWEVER, if you are careful to wrap up your key players before they hit the market, you will save big money in the long run.

When the Cardinals signed Albert Pujols to a seven-year $100 million contract before the 2004 season, that seemed like a lot of money. But after Vernon Wells got paid $126 million over seven years and Alfonso Soriano got $136 million over eight years, Pujols all of a sudden looks like a bargain. Can you imagine how much money he would get if he were on the market right now? Think $200 million plus.

I apologize for switching sports here (something we almost never do at Umpbump), but there is simply no better example of a contract extension-happy GM than Philadelphia 76ers GM Billy King, who has signed a bethy of average young players to big deals over the years(Willie Green, Kyle Korver, Sam Dalembert), only to leave his team with a bunch of expensive, mediocre players. King’s crowning achievement was signing SF Kenny Thomas to a big, long contract, only to discover that Thomas wasn’t worthy of being a starter, let alone an all-star. Now Thomas gets paid to sit on Sacremento’s bench. The Sixers traded him for Chris Webber, who is making $22 million per this year and next to hobble back and forth between the baskets.

Bad contracts are even more deadly in basketball, of course, because rosters are smaller and the NBA has an unforgiving salary cap. But the lesson also applies to baseball, especially to small market teams who can’t afford to eat bad contracts the way the Yankees and Red Sox do.

So is it good to lock up players with contract extensions? I guess the answer is, “it depends.”

Young players you do want to build around: Bonderman, Utley, Howard, Papelbon, Hanley Ramirez.

Young players you might not want to throw money at just yet: Prince Fielder (genetics are not on his side), Willie Taveras (he doesn’t even steal bases), Jered Weaver (he’s a Weaver), Freddy Sanchez (no power, avg. speed). 

See, this is what’s wrong with following a game on ESPN’s Gamecast. Apparently, what was initially ruled a fielder’s choice in the seventh inning was later ruled a single. And so Chase Utley has extended his hitting streak to 34 games. Of course, I didn’t find out that Chase’s hit had been ruled a single until the ninth inning. I spent two innings praying that Chase would get another chance to get a hit, only to find out he already got that hit.
Of course, Chase being Chase, he singled off of Jason Isringhausen in the top of the ninth. From ESPN.com:

Utley was 0-for-4 when, with the Phillies leading 11-7, he hit a bouncer to the third-base side of the pitchers’ mound. Reliever Randy Flores, a left-hander, grabbed the ball with his glove hand as his momentum carried him toward third. He briefly hesitated to check a runner on third, then turned and threw wide to first.

Official scorer Mike Smith initially ruled it a fielder’s choice — the scoreboard nevertheless credited a hit — but after watching replays Smith changed his call to a hit.

The controversy turned out to be for naught when Utley singled up the middle in the ninth inning to finish the game 2-for-6.

Wow, this is awesome. The streak lives on.

My subscription to MLB.tv has expired, so I was forced to “watch” tonight’s Phillies game on ESPN’s Gamecast. And Chase Utley, he of the 33 game hitting streak, just grounded into a fielder’s choice in what was almost certainly his final at bat of the game.

So that should be it for Chase’s chase. The Phillies would need to send six hitters to the plate in the bottom of the ninth for him to get another at bat. Probably not going to happen. That’ll mean no record for the young Phillies second baseman.

What is there left to root for if you’re a Phillies fan? Well, Ryan Howard is staking his claim as the most exciting young player in the national league. And, don’t look now, but after tonight the Phillies will only be four games back in the wild card chase. Of course, they’re still tied with about seven other teams, but hope springs eternal. Especially in Philadelphia. Right.