Chase Utley Returns To Citizens Bank Park Ahead Of MLB London Series

The Philadelphia Phillies will travel across the Atlantic Ocean to battle the New York Mets in the MLB London Series on June 8 and 9. The league chose the perfect person to promote the event at Citizens Bank Park weeks ahead of the international showcase.

Chase Utley spent parts of 13 seasons with the Phillies from 2003-2015, and he’s now the league’s Ambassador to Europe out on the front lines before the MLB London Series.

The legendary second baseman talked to the local media about his return to Philadelphia, the rivalry between the Phillies and the Mets, and the upcoming rivalry series.

The Phillies and the Mets will square up in London on Saturday, June 8 at 1:10pm EST and Sunday, June 9 at 10:10am EST.

Both games will take place at London Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Past major league series in London have included the New York Yankees against the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs against the St. Louis Cardinals. The effort to grow the game internationally also achieved a major victory when Great Britain competed in the World Baseball Classic in 2023.

Leave it to Chase Utley to push for the Phillies and Mets as the first rivalry matchup in London since he took the ambassador role.

He talked about the playoff atmosphere he expects during the two-game weekend set with fireworks, new food to try, and a great travel experience.

Utley and former Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy will also compete with UK Gladiators in a home run derby as part of the weekend festivities.

Utley played a central role in the most memorable era of the heated NL East rivalry. He was the gritty local legend that captured the hearts of Philadelphians when the Phillies overtook the Mets to begin a reign of dominance in 2007.

The soon-to-be World Series champ had some choice words on a hot mic for New York fans who booed him at the 2008 MLB All-Star Game. He also got under the skin of the Mets with a controversial slide in the 2015 playoffs.

Utley joked that he surprisingly hasn’t gotten any calls about promoting the MLB London Series at Citi Field. He also recalled a memory of a dramatic walk-off single in August 2007 against New York closer Billy Wagner.

The Mets ultimately blew a seven-game division lead in the final 17 games of the 2007 season. The Phillies won their first NL East pennant since 1993, and they repeated a year later on their way to their second World Series in franchise history.

Utley talked about following the 2024 Phillies despite difficulties with the time difference in the UK. He complimented the mix they’ve built as a team with strong chemistry that has a good chance to go on another deep playoff run.

His former teammate Roy Halladay famously competed with him to be the first Phillie to arrive on the first day of spring training during their time together in Philadelphia. Utley responded to a question about some similarities between Halladay and current Phillies ace Zack Wheeler.

The Philadelphia Phillies currently own the longest stretch in professional sports using a single continuous name in one city. A lot of fans attending home games at Citizens Bank Park have rooted for the team their whole lives. However, they probably don't know the whole history of Phillies ballparks. 

The Phillies won their first World Series nearly a century after their original inception as the Philadelphia Quakers. It was 77 years after the Fall Classic began.

The triumph of 1980 and a second celebration in 2008 stand as the best moments in franchise history. However, over 11,000 losses have sandwiched the two World Series championships.

A franchise that’s been around since 1883 has certainly experienced its fair share of ups and downs and its fair share of changes. The Phillies have moved into five new homes since the 19th century.

There have been moves just a few blocks between ballparks in North Philadelphia. There have been implosions and new construction projects at the sports complex in South Philadelphia. Two temporary homes and a timeless tradition of baseball fandom are also involved.

Other prominent venues have also hosted professional baseball games in the City of Brotherly Love. The Philadelphia Athletics opened Shibe Park long before the Phillies moved out of the renowned Baker Bowl. The A's won five World Series in the storied stadium.

The Philadelphia Stars played at 44th and Parkside, the current site of Memorial Park honoring a major chapter in the history of the Philadelphia Negro Leagues. 

Attending a Phillies game has become as essential to life in Philadelphia during the summer months as a 4th of July celebration or a trip to the Jersey Shore. A day at the ballpark creates the appeal of America’s pastime, whether you’re a younger fan only familiar with Citizens Bank Park, a former diehard of Veterans Stadium, or a lifelong Phillies fan who can reach even deeper into history.

The grand opening of Citizens Bank Park in 2004 provided a shiny new alternative to a rundown stadium that had fallen apart. The lure of Ashburn Alley, Harry the K’s, and Bull’s BBQ created excitement for a new era of baseball in a town that had endured too much losing during the 1990s.

Three years later, the Phillies won the first of five consecutive National League East pennants. The stretch included the clinching victory in Game 5 of the 2008 World Series at Citizens Bank Park.

The Phillies sold out Citizens Bank Park for 257 consecutive regular-season games from July 2009-August 2012. It was the third-longest streak in MLB history at the time, and 16 playoff games all sold out during the same stretch.

Veterans Stadium opened during an era when MLB and NFL teams trended toward a preference for sharing multipurpose stadiums. The Houston Astrodome and Three River Stadium in Pittsburgh had recently opened before the Vet, creating some excitement for a brand new venue.

The multipurpose stadium turned into a venue associated more commonly with the Philadelphia Eagles and the tough, old school identity of the fan base. The hostility against visiting teams, the infamous jail of Judge Seamus McCaffery, and the cringy field conditions all became part of local legends personified by the Vet.

The Philadelphia Athletics opened Shibe Park in 1909 at 21st Street and Lehigh Avenue in North Philly. They played home games there until they moved to Kansas City in 1954. The Phillies moved there in 1938.

The ballpark contained about 23,000 seats and an additional capacity for standing-room crowds. Fans also used to line the tops of the North Philly rowhomes behind the outfield wall during home games. 

The A’s won five World Series under legendary manager Connie Mack during an astounding 50-year tenure. The name change to Connie Mack Stadium in 1953, three years after his death, was a no-brainer. 

The Baker Bowl was the home to the growth and recognition of the Philadelphia Phillies in the first half of the 20th century. Renovations and expansions changed the seating capacity multiple times.

Fans referred to the stadium as National League Park, Philadelphia Park, and the Huntingdon Street Grounds at different points while the Phillies played there. According to Philly Voice, the right to keep foul balls that land in stadium seats began at the Baker Bowl.

According to Philadelphia Baseball Review, the Quakers played their first game on May 1, 1883 at Recreation Park in Philadelphia. Their tenure there lasted only four seasons.

The Phillies needed two breaks from hosting games at the Baker Bowl. The first came in 1894 when a fire forced a temporary move to the University of Penn for six games.

The A’s played at Columbia Park from 1901-1908, and the Phillies borrowed the venue for 16 home games in 1903 because of an unfortunate balcony collapse that resulted in the death of 12 fans at the Baker Bowl.