MLB
Chase Utley To Retire At The End Of Season
”I just want you guys to know that I’ve signed a five-year extension,” Chase Utley sheepishly exclaimed in his opening to his press conference today. However, in actuality, Chase Utley aka, “The Man”, the “Silver Fox”, aka “Dad”, announced his retirement. This effective at the end of the season, to spend more time with his family. To most, this won’t come as a surprise as the 39-year-old veteran is no longer an everyday starter, as he was for so long, but has stepped into more of a mentor role the last couple of years. A role that has been extremely beneficial and meaningful to a young Dodger team.
The Making of a Champion
Before talking about Utley’s current importance with the Dodgers, let’s review how he got his start. Chase was born in Southern California. His High School coach said he, “the fastest hands he had ever seen on a high school player.” Besides having a glove, during his senior year, Utley batted over .500, slugged 1.000 and struck out only twice.
It’s no surprise he got drafted out of high school in the second round and got offered $850,000 by none other than the Los Angeles Dodgers. After mulling over the offer, Utley eventually turned it down in favor of going to college and playing baseball for UCLA.
At UCLA, Utley had a great Freshman year. Eventually, he got moved from shortstop to second base, where he took to it like a natural. Utley also got invited to play in the coveted Cape Cod League, which he played in 1999. During Utley’s Junior year at UCLA he had a breakout season in which he hit 22 home runs and batted .382.
This led Utley to be selected to the All-Pac-10 team and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers and Sporting News first-team All-American teams.
With a resume like that, it was no wonder that multiple teams had their eye on Utley. However, it was the Philadelphia Phillies who landed him in the first round with the fifteenth pick in the 2000 draft. Utley signed with a $1,780,000 signing bonus.
The Phillies Legend
During his thirteen years on the Phillies, Chase Utley was definitely a legend. After spending a few years in the Phillies Minor League system, Utley made his Major League debut on April 4, 2003, where he didn’t disappoint. In his first at-bat, Utley hit a Grand-slam. Personally, while on the Phillies, Utley was an Allstar from 2006-2010 and again in 2014.
He also won the Silver Slugger award four times from 2006-2009. In addition, in 2009, Utley was named #6 out of 50 on the Sporting News’ Greatest Current Baseball Players. During his time, Utley was apart of the team going from irrelevance to two LDS, one NLCS and two World Series, with a World Series title in 2008. Usually, soft-spoken and not vocal, the World Series win got him to break out of his shell. During the Phillies Parade, on live broadcasted, uncensored television, Chase Utley announced into the microphone,
“World Champions. World fucking Champions.”
That quote and moment is something that solidified Chase’s legacy as an all-time Philly great.
A Mentor in L.A.: The “Silver Fox” Aka “Dad” Is Born
On August 19, 2015, after having the slowest start of his career and batting only .217 the Philadelphia Phillies traded their fan favorite and Philly legend to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Transitioning to a part-time player wasn’t easy. However, Chase continued his slow start to have the worse offensive season of his career. However, what Utley is probably most remembered for in the 2015 season, is during the National League Division game.
During the game, Utley slid into second base trying to break up a double play and in the process of doing so, fractured Mets player Ruben Tejada’s right fibula, something Mets fans are still sour about. Although his numbers have been better than that 2015 season, they have definitely declined, which is expected for an aging veteran. However, having an impact on a team doesn’t always show through with numbers. It’s also what a player does behind the scenes that can be even more beneficial.
There has been story after story about the kind of different breed of a player that Chase Utley is. Reports that he is the first one in the locker room and the last one to leave, after watching hours of video. Video of not only himself and what he can do to get better, but of other teammates, such as those in the bullpen and seeing if he can pinpoint anything to make them better as well. When Ross Stripling was in the bullpen he is quoted as saying,
“He picks up on these things from film that are incredible,” “I remember one time he sat me down and showed me and I didn’t even see anything. You’re like, ‘Oh, yeah, totally.’ And he’s, ‘You don’t see your glove doing that?’ I don’t but I say, ‘Yeah, I’ll fix it.’”
Several Stories
Stories like when he dressed as the Dodgers Bat Boy, just to address the umpire about how much he was slighting Kershaw’s strike zone. Stories like when he walked to the mound to introduce himself to Walker Buehler after he had just given up a hit and a bomb in his Spring Training debut, just to calm the rookie’s nerves and to tell him to shake it off.
Also, stories of taking Seager and Bellinger under his wing and helping them progress in the bigs. “I try to help them out as much as possible. I don’t make them follow me around on a daily basis or anything, but if they have questions, I’m going to try to answer them,” Utley said. By the way, in Seager’s sophomore year, he was the one who filled out Utley’s Player’s Weekend card with the name, the “Silver Fox”
Stories like when he sent rookie Austin Barnes to get him tacos at At&t Park during a game and when Barnes came back with them, A.J. Ellis asked Utley what Barne’s first name was, in which he replied, “Sam”. Barne’s owned it and in fact, wore “Sam” on his jersey during Player’s Weekend.
And of course all the reports of players, especially the likes of Kiké Hernandez making references to Chase Utley as his “Dad” which he lovingly has done on more than one occasion. Such as a few weeks ago when the Dodgers were playing the Mets and Kiké hit two home runs. Kiké said, “I used my dad’s bat for the second one. I really don’t like the way they boo him here, so that adds a little bit to my game.”
Conclusion
Point being is the effect that Chase Utley has had on the Dodgers. In addition, their young players has been immense and irreplaceable. It is fitting that his teammates lovingly refer to him as “Dad” as that’s the biggest reason he has chosen to retire now. In his press conference today, Utley said,
”I’m also a part-time strength coach, a part-time pitching coach, occasionally a part-time catching coach as well as a part-time general manager,” Utley said. ”But the thing I’m having the most difficult time with is being a part-time dad. That’s really the reason I’m shutting it down because I’m ready to be a full-time dad.”
It is refreshing to know that Chase Utley is as much of a man off the field, as he is on the field. In fact, Utley was known as “The Man” in Philly and that is exactly what he is. Utley played the game old school. Hard-nosed and as if every game was his last. He wasn’t afraid to take one for the team,( as he’s number eight on the all-time hit by pitch leaders). He was an All-star and Silver Slugger winner numerous times, a World Series Champion and future Hall of Famer. Although Utley’s time with the Dodgers has been short, it has been profound. Chase Utley came to the Dodgers in the twilight of his career because he wanted to win a World Series. So what do you say Dodgers? Let’s win for Dad!
