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Playing 2nd base, hitting lefty, throwing righty — it’s conscionable what group who are named Chase Utley do.
It is not uncommon for parents to sanction their kids aliases pets aft an athlete, but it is highly uncommon to person nan nonstop aforesaid first and past sanction arsenic a master athlete.
Chase Utley was calved successful Alabama 10 months aft Philadelphia Phillies fable Chase Utley, helped lead nan squad to a World Series title successful 2008.
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(Left) Chase Utley poses for a photograph connected a shot section successful Mobile, Alabama, February 2026. (Right) Chase Utley (26) of nan Philadelphia Phillies stands connected 2nd guidelines aft being called retired connected a pickoff play during nan seventh inning of a crippled against nan Milwaukee Brewers astatine Miller Park successful Milwaukee, Wisconsin, connected Aug. 15, 2015. The telephone was overturned connected reappraisal aft Jean Segura (9) of nan Milwaukee Brewers dropped nan ball, and Utley was ruled safe. The Brewers defeated nan Phillies 4-2. (Courtesy of nan Utley family; John Konstantaras/Getty Images)
The older Chase Utley played 16 seasons successful nan large leagues, hitting lefty, throwing right-handed, and playing 2nd base, and was conscionable named to nan Phillies Wall of Fame. The younger Chase Utley hopes his shot profession ends pinch akin recognition.
The younger Chase Utley’s parents, Brian and Amanda, came astir to naming their boy Chase successful different ways.
For Brian, he is simply a large shot instrumentality and knew who Chase Utley was earlier naming his boy Chase.
"I grew up a large shot fan. Followed nan crippled very closely, and I perfectly knew who Chase Utley was, of course, and person been pursuing his career," Brian told Fox News Digital successful a caller interview. "To day it, our Chase was calved successful August of 2009, truthful that would person been (during) nan 2nd World Series tally for nan Phillies, truthful it was very apical of mind. The sanction conscionable benignant of rolls disconnected nan lingua erstwhile your name's already Utley. It was thing that I wanted. I had to beryllium delicate to my wife's desires for sure."
Amanda Utley thought of nan sanction Chase independently of nan Phillies great. When she suggested nan sanction to her husband, she was informed of nan coincidence and was turned disconnected by nan name.
"I didn't cognize location was a Chase Utley, and I conscionable thought of nan sanction Chase and thought it sounded great. I've ever liked that name. And so, erstwhile I suggested it, (Brian) said, ‘Well, arsenic a matter of fact,’ and he tells maine each astir Chase Utley. And so, I was like, ‘Oh, ne'er mind then.’ You know, that's weird. I don't deliberation we're going to want to sanction him aft somebody," Amanda told Fox News Digital successful a caller interview.
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Chase and Brian Utley airs for a photograph connected a shot section successful Mobile, Alabama, February 2026. (Courtesy of nan Utley family)
However, arsenic she went passim nan pregnancy, she vetted Brian astir nan personification Chase Utley is.
"The much we benignant of went done nan pregnancy, I didn't find different sanction I liked better. And, truthful past I benignant of was like, ‘Well, is Chase Utley a bully guy? Is he a bully leader? Is he a naughty successful nan locker room?’ You know, each nan things. He was like, ‘No, he's an awesome feline and he would he's a great domiciled model. He's astir apt going to beryllium successful nan Hall of Fame 1 year.’ I said, ‘Well, past are we going to get made nosy of if we do this?’ And he said, ‘No, I don't deliberation so.’ So, that's wherever that's wherever that came from for me. I conscionable really liked nan name," Amanda said.
So, nan mates settled connected Chase.
The older Chase Utley said he has met a fistful of kids named aft him, but ne'er personification pinch his nonstop aforesaid name.
"But honestly, nan past sanction astatine least, I've ne'er met different personification named nan past sanction Utley different than my family members. So, they put them some together is highly unique. And nan truth that a young shot subordinate plays nan aforesaid position arsenic we mentioned, I deliberation it's very cool and very unique," nan older Chase Utley told Fox News Digital successful a caller interview.
The elder Chase Utley is nary alien to group naming their kids aft him. He has been told families person named their pets aft him.
"I really met respective kids aliases parents that mentioned that they named their boy aliases their dog, aliases their cats, aliases their bird. There's I deliberation location was a food was named aft me," Utley said.
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Former Philadelphia Phillies 2nd baseman Chase Utley during a pregame ceremonial against nan Chicago White Sox astatine Citizens Bank Park successful Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, connected Aug. 4, 2019. (Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports)
The younger Chase Utley thinks it is "super cool" to beryllium named aft nan World Series champion.
"Well, evidently I was calved benignant of astatine nan highest of his career. I was calved successful 2009 backmost whenever they were they went connected that 2 World Series run. So it took maine a infinitesimal to really conscionable benignant of understand that," nan younger Chase Utley told Fox News Digital.
"But erstwhile I benignant of realized it and I sewage to really cognize and study astir nan subordinate that he is and nan awesome leader and awesome competitor that he was, I mean, it's ace cool to beryllium named aft a subordinate for illustration that, particularly a subordinate that's for illustration nosy to look up to and exemplary a game, exemplary my crippled after. It's awesome to beryllium named aft him."
The younger Chase Utley did not take to bat lefty, propulsion right-handed and play 2nd guidelines solely because of his name. He besides plays shortstop and is listed arsenic a right-handed pitcher connected Perfect Game’s website. Perfect Game is nan largest and astir broad scouting statement successful younker baseball.
The younger Utley said it each fell into spot that measurement and credited his dada for molding him into nan subordinate he is.
"Well, from a young age, my dad's been my coach and my dad's been a awesome coach and coach for maine conscionable and he benignant of molded maine into nan subordinate that I americium he benignant of stuck maine connected nan tee connected nan near broadside whenever I started to deed and evident for illustration I sewage a batch of athleticism from him and ever person worked connected being a awesome jock pinch him," nan younger Chase Utley said.
"That sets maine up bully to beryllium a bully mediate infielder. So yeah, it conscionable benignant of each fell into spot to wherever I was a lefty bat and righty thrower playing some shortstop and 2nd guidelines and yeah, truthful yeah, it conscionable benignant of each fell into spot and it's awesome to moreover play nan aforesaid position that he did."
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Chase Utley successful action astatine a shot section successful Mobile, Alabama, February 2026. (Courtesy of nan Utley family)
Perfect Game’s vice president of scouting, Jered Goodwin, told Fox News Digital that nan younger Utley is connected nan trajectory of being a Division I assemblage shot player. Goodwin praised his expertise to deed and is looking guardant to his maturation process.
Goodwin said nan younger Utley’s athleticism caught his eye.
"One point that that caught my oculus and done nan conversations I've had and what I sewage to spot past summer, he is diversion capable to beryllium versatile, spell retired and person a domiciled astatine a four-year schoolhouse conscionable because he tin play aggregate spots. He swings from nan correct broadside of nan plate, and he does hit," Goodwin told Fox News Digital successful a caller interview.
The younger Chase Utley is not conscionable opening eyes pinch his play astatine shot tournaments, but has besides caused chaos astatine shot tournaments for his sanction alone.
Umpires person approached Brian Utley astatine shot tournaments, confusing him for nan older Chase Utley.
"There was this 1 lawsuit wherever I was playing and my dada was coaching and we had 2 games earlier successful nan time and past we near connected a crippled break for lunch. We travel backmost and it mightiness person been started by an umpire aliases a genitor but location was a buzz for illustration a rumor going astir nan ballpark that Chase Utley was location and he was coaching his boy while his boy was playing arsenic maine and my dada is Chase Utley," nan younger Chase Utley said.
"And there's been different instances wherever umpires person gone up to my dada reasoning that he was Chase Utley and he was coaching his boy and talking to him astir his profession and everything."
The younger Chase Utley said he often gets asked passim nan shot play by opponents if he is named aft aliases related to nan older Chase Utley.
Brian Utley said whenever his boy is announced to hit, it causes a operation among nan crowd.
"We had a crippled past nighttime and uh arsenic he comes up to bat, you perceive it. Hey, now batting number four, Chase Utley. And I ever admit a small spot of a chat aliases I ever tin spot it successful nan stands each clip he comes up for nan first clip usually because nan sanction called out," Brian said.
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Chase Utley successful a dugout successful Mobile, Alabama, February 2026. (Courtesy of nan Utley family)
Brian Utley said he gets asked often if he intentionally named Chase aft nan older Chase Utley, which he affirms. Amanda Utley said she had a friend who had known their Chase for years and 1 time saw a shot subordinate connected tv named Chase Utley, and wondered if Brian and Amanda were alert of nan different Chase Utley.
"Most of nan clip erstwhile group ask, ‘Do you know?’ nan follow-up is, ‘Did you do that connected purpose?’ And truthful it's benignant of, benignant of," Amanda said.
While Brian knew who Chase Utley was, he is not a Phillies fan. He grew up a Kansas City Royals instrumentality successful nan 1980s, and nan family’s favourite squad is nan Royals.
The family named their canine Slugger aft nan Royals mascot.
While nan Royals are nan Utleys favourite team, they do guidelines for nan Phillies. The younger Chase Utley called them their second-favorite team.
The older Chase Utley said he was astatine outpouring training successful Clearwater, Florida, erstwhile a family came up to him and told him that they named their boy aft him.
The Utley family had not reached retired to nan older Chase to fto him cognize they named their boy aft him.
"We haven't had that benignant of nerve," Brian said pinch a laugh.
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Chase Utley (26) of nan Philadelphia Phillies stands connected 2nd guidelines aft being called retired connected a pickoff play during nan seventh inning of a crippled against nan Milwaukee Brewers astatine Miller Park successful Milwaukee, Wisconsin, connected Aug. 15, 2015. The telephone was overturned connected reappraisal aft Jean Segura (9) of nan Milwaukee Brewers dropped nan ball, and Utley was ruled safe. The Brewers defeated nan Phillies 4-2. (John Konstantaras/Getty Images)
While they haven’t yet met, location are plans to meet successful nan future. The elder Chase Utley said they will meet successful personification complete nan adjacent respective months, possibly aft a Zoom for their first introduction.
The ex-ballplayer said he is looking guardant to gathering nan younger Chase Utley.
"I'd emotion to shingle his manus and person a bully conversation. I hopefully we tin talk a small shot and 2nd guidelines and hopefully person immoderate awesome questions that I can. Hopefully I tin supply immoderate bully answers for him. But yeah, conscionable to meet someone, pinch your aforesaid nonstop name, that doesn't hap very often, astatine slightest for me. So it'll beryllium a awesome experience," nan older Chase Utley said.
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Ryan Canfield is simply a integer accumulation adjunct for Fox News Digital.
