Nov. 24 -- CUTTING THE CHASE

BY SCOTT LAUBER

After watching yesterday's, uh, debacle in Baltimore, you're probably eager to change the subject to something more uplifting than Donovan McNabb, Kevin Kolb and those Eagles, right?

So, let's talk about Chase Utley's hip.

Utley, as you know, will undergo surgery this week in New York, and depending on the extent of the procedure, he'll be sidelined for four to six months. The other day, I spoke with Dr. Victor Kalman, an orthopedic surgeon and the hip specialist at the Morgan-Kalman Clinic in Wilmington (Morgan has operated on several well-known athletes, including Curt Schilling and Elton Brand; Kalman worked for the Phillies during his fellowship in 1993-94). Anyway, Dr. Kalman explained the ins and outs of Utley's surgery, which will last about 90 minutes, less time than it will take you to watch the 2008 World Series DVD that is due to be released tomorrow.

A few other things that I learned from talking to Dr. Kalman:

1. Hip injuries like Utley's are often diagnosed initially as groin strains. It's a common mistake, Kalman said, because groin injuries are far more prevalent than hip problems. But when the symptoms linger for two or three months, Kalman said it's more likely the hip or back than the groin.

2. This type of injury can occur when an athlete plants and twists his body. It is seen most often in hockey goalies and soccer players, although Kalman said shortstops and second basemen are vulnerable because of the way they pivot their bodies to turn double plays.

3. The best-case scenario is that Utley has only a "flap tear" of his labrum, the ring of dense tissue and cartilage that attaches to the hip socket and serves as a suction cup or a shock absorber for the joint. In that case, Dr. Bryan Kelly would only have to trim the cartilage, and Utley could conceivably be playing by opening day, April 5 at the Bank. Worst-case scenario is that there is a "bony impingement" that requires the repair of spurs around the hip socket. In that case, Utley could be sidelined until June.

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Within the Sunday MLB notes, we examine the Phillies' contingency plans for left field in case Pat Burrell doesn't return. Also, we get a glimpse into Jamie Moyer's thought process behind wanting a multiyear contract, and we put a wrap, once and for all, on the 2008 NL MVP voting.

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Read an interesting story in the New York Times the other day: During their meetings last week, baseball owners were briefed about the crumbling U.S. economy by former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker, an advisor to President-elect Barack Obama. Evidently, Volcker’s assessment of the where the economy may be headed was not positive. Makes you wonder if it may cause some teams to curb their offseason spending. Something to keep an eye on as the offseason progresses.