August 16, 2016
The Phillies don't play walk-up music for visiting players, but they made an exception on Monday night. When the Los Angeles Dodgers leadoff hitter stepped to the plate for the first time since being traded a year ago, a familiar song played at Citizens Bank Park: Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir."
Yep, Chase Utley is back in town.
Utley was introduced by public address announcer Dan Baker, and it took the fans almost 90 seconds to stop clapping. They even booed when a strike was called on Utley, who eventually struck out. Ryan Howard, the rest of the Phillies, and Utley's current Dodger teammates joined in on the applause.
At one point, the normally stoic Utley pounded his fist on his heart. You can check out the whole thing here:
And here's the view from inside the ballpark via our own Ryan Lawrence:
Here's the first half of it: pic.twitter.com/zfX5AZJLME
— Ryan Lawrence (@ryanlawrence21) August 16, 2016
...and here's the second half. pic.twitter.com/9MFA7KqPKP
— Ryan Lawrence (@ryanlawrence21) August 16, 2016
And then the game started and Utley did what Utley does.
In the fifth inning of the Dodgers' 15-5 win over the Phillies, he hit his first home run as a visiting player at Citizens Bank Park, a solo shot that earned his second standing ovation of the night.
And even a curtain call from Phillies fans...
Not sure I've ever seen a visiting player get a standing O & curtain call for hitting a HR in Philadelphia. But Chase Utley just got both.
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) August 17, 2016
Folks in the press box remember standing ovations for Ripken, Dawson, Daulton and Thome homers. But not a curtain call.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) August 17, 2016
Then in the top of the seventh, Utley hit his second home run of the night to put the Dodgers up 13-2.
Again, it was nothing but respect from the home fans.
Standing O from #Phillies fans for Chase Utley after GRAND SLAM. Another curtain call. #TheMan #HardToBelieveHarry pic.twitter.com/RItrS9Or2n
— John Clark CSN (@JClarkCSN) August 17, 2016
Utley finished the game 2-for-4 with two home runs, 5 RBI and a walk.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
