A youth baseball player from the Mobile, Alabama, area named Chase Utley plays second base, bats left-handed and throws right-handed, matching the profile of retired Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley.[1][2]
The younger Utley was born in August 2009, about 10 months after the Phillies defeated the Tampa Bay Rays to win the 2008 World Series, with the elder Utley contributing 9 home runs and 47 RBI that season.[1][2]
The elder Utley played 16 major league seasons from 2003 to 2018, primarily at second base for the Phillies from 2003 to 2015 before joining the Los Angeles Dodgers. A five-time All-Star, he was elected to the Phillies Wall of Fame in August 2023.[2]
The younger Utley's parents, Brian and Amanda Utley, said Brian suggested the name amid the Phillies' 2008-2009 World Series appearances, while Amanda independently liked it but vetted the ballplayer's character before agreeing. Brian, a Kansas City Royals fan from the 1980s, confirmed the Phillies star as a positive role model.[1]
Listed on Perfect Game as a shortstop, second baseman and right-handed pitcher, the younger Utley credits his father for developing his left-handed swing and middle-infield skills. Perfect Game scouting vice president Jered Goodwin described him as athletic and versatile with Division I college potential.[1]
The elder Utley said he has met children and pets named after him but no one with his full name, calling the baseball overlap "very cool and unique." The pair have not met but plan an introduction via Zoom followed by an in-person meeting in coming months.[1]
At tournaments, the name prompts crowd reactions and umpire confusion, with opponents often asking if the youth is related to the former player.[1]
Sources
- Fox News, "Young Chase Utley in baseball matches Phillies legend's position, batting style; they plan to meet", February 21, 2024, https://www.foxnews.com/sports/young-chase-utley-baseball-matches-phillies-legend-position-batting-style-they-plan-meet
- Baseball-Reference.com, "Chase Utley", accessed October 2024, https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/u/utleych01.shtml
