Biography
Chase Cameron Utley (born December 17, 1978, in Pasadena, California) is a baseball player second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies. Utley bats left-handed, but throws right-handed. He is widely considered to be the top second baseman in Major League Baseball.
Chase is a product of the Phillies’ farm system, having played with the Batavia Muckdogs (A-Short Season) in 2000, the Clearwater Phillies (A, now the Clearwater Threshers) in 2003, and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons (AAA) in 2002-03. Although Utley mainly played second base during his time in the minor leagues, the Phillies organization attempted to convert him into a third baseman in order to bring him through the winter faster. Consequently, he spent most of the 2002 at third base, returning to second at spring training in 2001.
In his first major league start, Utley recorded his first major league hit - a grand slam - before later being returned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He was recalled by the Phillies again in August 2003, to replace Plácido Polanco at second base. (Polanco was moved to third to compensate for the loss of third baseman David Bell to the disabled list.) Utley recorded the final at-bat at Veterans Stadium by grounding into a game-ending double play on September 28, 2003.
Since becoming a permanent fixture to the Phillies roster, Utley has demonstrated versatility as a player. For example, during interleague play, Utley has sometimes covered first base to give former teammate Jim Thome and current first baseman Ryan Howard a rest from fielding or to allow them to fulfill the role of designated hitter. Utley platooned with Polanco at second base during the start of the 2005, whereupon it was becoming evident to management that Utley was the team’s future full-time second baseman. In June 2005, the Phillies traded Polanco to the Tigers for pitcher Ugueth Urbina and infielder Ramón Martínez. As a full-time starter, Utley has established himself as one of the best-hitting second basemen in the National League. He has also proven his speed by stealing 16 bases in the 2005 season. As his fielding has improved, Utley is seen in combination with Jimmy Rollins as one of the best middle infield combinations in the NL. Due to Utley’s youth and strong personality, he is also considered by many fans to be one of the future leaders of the team, alongside Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins.
Utley was a member of Team USA in the 2006 World Baseball Classic and was selected by fans as the starting NL second baseman for the 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. In November, he traveled to Japan with other major league stars to compete against an All-Star Japanese squad.
During the 2006 season, Utley maintained a 35-game hitting streak—the second-longest streak in Phillies history behind teammate Jimmy Rollins, who hit for 38 straight games between 2005 and 2006 (36 games in 2005 and two in 2006). Utley tied Luis Castillo, who had a 35-game hitting streak in 2002, for the longest hitting streak by a second baseman. Utley’s streak was also the longest for a purely left-handed hitter since Tommy Holmes‘ 37-game streak in 1945. As a result, Utley was named National League Player of the Month for July 2006.
On September 24, Utley hit two home runs for a 10-7 win over the Florida Marlins; it was his seventh multi-home run game of the 2006 season, tying a franchise record set in 1968 and tied by Ryan Howard in 2006. Utley combined with Jimmy Rollins in 2006 to become the first pair of middle-infielders in National League history to hit 25 home runs each in the same season; Utley hit 32, while Rollins hit 25. He later received the Silver Slugger Award for being the best hitting second baseman in the National League. He also batted .309 in 2006.
On January 21, 2007, the day after his wedding to Lisa Griffin of Lafayette Hill, PA, Utley signed a 7-year, $85 million contract extension with the Phillies.
On April 23, 2007, Chase hit a towering 460-foot blast off Dave Borkowski of the Houston Astros. The ball landed in Ashburn Alley at Citizens Bank Park.
On July 1, 2007, Utley was selected by the fans to be the starting 2nd Baseman in the 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
On July 26, 2007, Utley broke his fourth metacarpal bone in his right hand when he was hit by a pitch in the 5th inning of a 7-6 loss to the Washington Nationals. “I’ll be back. Don’t worry, guys,” Utley said after the game. “It’s a break, but not that bad of a break. I definitely expect to be back (pause) this season.” On July 27, 2007, Utley had successful surgery on the fourth metacarpal in his right hand. He had a pin inserted into the hand during the 20-minute surgery that was performed by Dr. Randall Culp at Methodist Hospital in Philadelphia. Utley also was placed on the 15-day disabled list. [1] He returned to the lineup on August 27, 2007, hitting a home run and an RBI double, going 3-5, and drawing a curtain call from the crowd.
Utley finished the season with a .332 batting average, 22 home runs, 103 RBIs and 48 doubles, tying him for second in the National League. He helped propel the Phillies to their first playoff appearance in fourteen seasons as the team capped a dramatic comeback by clinching the National League East division title on the final day of the regular season. Utley’s offensive performance also earned him a Silver Slugger Award for the second consecutive season.
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