Wednesday’s rubber match between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies marked Chase Utley’s final regular-season appearance at Citizens Bank Park, signaling the end of an era for the 39-year-old, who spent 13 seasons with the organization from 2003-15.
Utley went 0-for-3 in the contest and was removed from the game in the sixth inning after flying out to left field. Phillies fans once again showered him with a number of standing ovations, including a postgame curtain call, to which he waved goodbye to the crowd.
However, there remains a possibility that Utley returns to his old stomping grounds once more as an active player in the event of a potential postseason series between the Dodgers and Phillies.
Utley is already looking forward to that hypothetical, citing the vibrant atmosphere at Citizens Bank Park during the playoffs, via Todd Zolecki of MLB.com:
“It would be cool,” Utley said about a potential Phillies-Dodgers postseason series. “Anytime you’re playing in October, it’s cool.” But October baseball in Philly? “Yeah,” he said, “it would be a trip.”
As the month of July comes to a close, the Phillies find themselves with a surprising first-place lead in the National League East. Should that hold for the remainder of the season, they’ll advance to the postseason for the first time since 2011.
Utley is plenty familiar with October baseball in Philadelphia, having played in 10 different postseason series as a member of the Phillies from 2007-11.
That includes back-to-back World Series appearances, where Utley’s Phillies captured their first championship in nearly three decades over the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008 before falling short to the New York Yankees in 2009.
Utley has since participated in three consecutive postseason runs with the Dodgers and most recently advanced to his third career Fall Classic in 2017.
He now looks to close out a potential Hall of Fame career with another championship, to which he would celebrate with his childhood team growing up.
As part of our efforts to help you understand how we handle the personal information you share with us, and in preparation for the new European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we’ve updated our Privacy & Cookies Policy. The updated Privacy & Cookies Policy will take effect on May 22, 2018. By using our services on or after that date, you’ll be agreeing to our updated Privacy & Cookies Policy. We recommend that you read our updated Privacy & Cookies Policy in full.
