Chase Utley was drafted in the first round of the 2000 MLB June Amateur Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies and made his debut with the team as a 24-year-old in 2003. The Pasadena, California native went on to play 1,551 games in a Phillies uniform over the span of 12 and a half seasons and helped lead the team to one of their team World Series titles in 2008.
With the 39-year-old set to retire at the end of the season, Utley made his final appearance in Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon as the Dodgers and Phillies wrapped up a three-game series. Before heading back into the dugout and down to the clubhouse, the six-time All-Star stepped back onto the field at Citizens Bank Park for the final time in his career and he got an incredible standing ovation from the Phillies faithful.
Shortly after the game, Utley put up a heartfelt thank you post for the people of Philadelphia on his Instagram account.
“Thank you Philadelphia for the amazing journey. You will forever have a place in my heart. @phillies #08WFC”
Utley is one of the greatest players to ever wear a Phillies uniform and he will be a fan favourite in Philadelphia for a very long time.
(H/T Twitter/JClarkNBCS)
