Dodgers’ Chase Utley On His Body, Austin Barnes’ Nickname, And More
Chase Utley has been in the majors for 15 years now. He sports a career slash line of .276/.359/.469, 250 home runs, and over 1,000 runs batted in. He even has a world series ring from 2008 when he did it with the Phillies.
His success on the diamond is evident, but he’s also a very charismatic player with tons of stories! He was recently on Intentional Talk and he covered everything. Utley went over his haircut and body, how Austin Barnes got the nickname “Sam,” and so much more!
Do yourself a favor and watch the full interview below.
A stellar #IT debut for Chase Utley. @Dodgers #ITMojo @ChrisRose @KMillar15 pic.twitter.com/Q9296fDdsa
— Intentional Talk (@IntentionalTalk) September 27, 2017
I think my favorite part was watching a very young Chase Utley talk to Phillies’ fans after winning the World Series!
Chase Utley has been a vital part of the Dodgers’ success this year, though his numbers on the surface do not show that. On the year, Utley is hitting .234/.321/.401, which is a bit low compared to his consistent track record. He began the season with an absolutely dreadful batting average of .122 in April. That number skyrocketed in May up to .314, and has been fluctuating through the months ever since.
He is pretty much playing a straight platoon with Logan Forsythe at second base, though his bat off of the bench has been very valuable. As a pinch hitter this year, Utley has a slash line of .281/.452/.438 in 42 at-bats! That on-base percentage is most impressive, getting on base almost 50% of the time when he pinch-hits.
With all of that said, it goes without saying that his value does not stop there. His leadership and veteran presence has been made very public, especially in regards to his relationship with Corey Seager. So he can play baseball, mentor the younger players, and put on a great interview. I’m not sure that there is anything Chase Utley can’t do.
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There are very very few “Charlie Hustles” in baseball, past or present. Chase Utley is one of them. He is the epitome of readiness and competition. Yep, I lump him in with Pete Rose. Plays hard always, and knows how to win in “small ball” situations. We all get old but that doesn’t mean there isn’t value…it’s the intangibles he brings to the ballpark every game day. We are fortunate to have Chase Utley on the Dodgers roster.