Two words define Phillies baseball over the last 13 years: Chase Utley.
April 4, 2003.
A skinny 24-year old was announced as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the second inning for starting pitcher Joe Roa in a 9-1 blowout loss to the Pirates. As Dan Baker announced the name of Chase Utley to the crowd at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia that Friday evening, a new era of Phillies baseball began. Utley’s first at-bat was far from memorable, a strikeout against veteran righty Jeff Suppan, but over the next 13 seasons, the second baseman would change the way city would feel about their Phillies.
Utley’s impact was not felt during his 2003 rookie campaign. He batted just .239 with two HR’s in 152 plate appearances. His biggest hit was his first hit, a grand slam off Colorado’s Aaron Cook. Veteran Placido Polanco was manning 2b and coming off a 20 HR season in San Francisco the prior year, David Bell, was signed to be the everyday 3b. Although Utley was a first-round selection, out of UCLA, the Phils were going with experience in hopes of contending as they head into their new ballpark the following season.
Utley spent the first season in Citizen Bank Park sharing time with Polanco, finishing with a respectable .266 avg. and 13 HR’s. But 2005 was make or break. He was heading into his age 27 season the organization decides to send Polanco to Detroit and allow Utley to take the reins full-time. Utley responded, hitting nearly .300, with 28 HR’s becoming the premier young 2b in the game. Philadelphia finished with 88 wins that year, their highest total since 1993 and with Utley’s hard-nose, no-nonsense style, told the sold out crowds that something special was happening here.
Over the next four seasons, Utley would average 30 HR’s and nearly 100 RBI’s. He’d finish in the top 10 in the National League MVP voting three times, but it was the little things that endeared himself to this working class city. He was the guy everyone wanted up there with the game on the line. Ryan Howard would hit them farther, Jimmy Rollins would do it cooler, but Chase Utley was a Larry Brown kind of guy, play the right way.
Although Chase’s bat is what brought him to the dance, it was his baseball IQ that will be most remembered in Philadelphia. In the city’s only championship since 1980, it was Utley’s brain that was the difference. The Game 5 marathon that was called for two days by rain was a 3-3 tie when it was halted.
It remained tied because Chase pulled off one of the most brilliant plays in since Jeter’s backward flip to nab Jeremy Giambi at the plate. Utley faked a throw to first an up the middle grounder, by Tampa second baseman Akinori Iwamura, not only fooling the hitter, but third-base coach Tom Foley, who was waiving an unsuspecting Jason Bartlett home.
The off-balance, one-bounce toss, hit Chooch right in the glove and preserved the tie game that led the Phillies to a Game 5 victory and their first World Series in 25 years.
A Gamer, A Leader, An amazing example of what a baseball player should be. He was so much more than the stats on the back of his baseball card.
Yes, .282, 232 HR’s, 914 RBI’s, and over 1600 hits is impressive, but it doesn’t even come close to describing the impact this California kid made on the Phillies and most of all, Philadelphia.
As always, Harry Kalas, said it best…”Chase Utley, you are the man.” And you always will be.
