Chase Utley, known as "The Man" in Philadelphia or "Dad" to Los Angeles, received the greeting you'd expect from thankful fans. Last night the Phillies faithful stood and thanked their former field general with numerous standing ovations, and I have no doubt Chase appreciated the gesture. Per Rowan Kavner at Dodger Insider:
“I’ve had so much support over the years, and there’s a lot of different tools that kind of help guys perform at this level,” Utley said at his initial retirement announcement. “One of those tools, in my opinion, was confidence. Philadelphia fans really brought that confidence out of me, regardless if I was 0-for-4 or 4-for-4. They were always cheering for me. They were always supporting me. That, to me, in my opinion, has really helped me become a better player.”Philadelphia area paper, the Allentown Morning Call (written by Tom Housenick), adds more:
“[The ovations he gets in Philadelphia as a visiting player], for me as a player on the field, I think it’s pretty cool,” Rhys Hoskins said.
“It speaks to the passion of this city and what this city values in a baseball player. I don’t think that happens if Chase isn’t Chase. He played the only way he knew how to play.”In honor of his career and last nights player celebration Topps has issued a 2018 Topps Now card. Check it out above and below. Go here to check it out and order. Below is what is written on the reverse:
Pending the Phillies and Dodgers meet again in the Postseason, this week's series marks Chase Utley's final trip to Philadelphia as a visiting player. Utley popped out of the dugout and waved to the 33,753 fans when his name was announced during during pregame introductions. The veteran second baseman received another ovation before his first plate appearance. Utley received a third ovation when he flw out to the warning track. Utley won the World Series in 2008 with the Phillies while making five All-Star teams and winning four Silver Slugger Awards before be traded to the Dodgers in August 2015.
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