Chase Utley and the Phillies agreed to a seven-year, $85 million extension Sunday, avoiding salary arbitration. The extension covers the final three arbitration seasons for Utley and his first four seasons of free agency.

"We view Chase as not only a great second baseman but also one of the top 10-15 players in the game," Phillies assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "He's a hard-nosed, full-throttle player who exemplifies the spirit of Philadelphia. He is tailor-made for this city and we couldn't be happier to lock him up for years to come."

In a sad moment for the baseball world, the Cincinnati Reds announced this morning that former major leaguer and pitching coach Vern Ruhle died at 11:00 p.m. last night at MD Anderson Hospital in Houston of complications from a donor stem cell transplant for the treatment of multiple myeloma.

Ruhle, 55, is survived by his wife Sue, daughter Rebecca and son Kenny.

Ruhle entered last season as the Reds’ Major League pitching coach, but during routine physical examinations in February he was diagnosed with cancer. He missed the entire season while receiving treatment for multiple myeloma. 

For the 2007 season, Ruhle had been assigned to work as the organization’s pitching rehabilitation coordinator at its minor league complex in Sarasota, Florida.

“The baseball and Cincinnati Reds families mourn the loss of an excellent coach, wonderful husband and loving father,” the club said in a statement. “In his 35 years in professional and collegiate baseball, Vern touched many people inside and outside the game. We are privileged to have been a part of his life. He will be greatly missed.”