The characteristics that best describe left-handed MLB player Chase Utley may sound exaggerated, but they are all true. As a professional second baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers, he is fast, a great ball hitter, and he works hard and long to improve.
In his fifteen seasons in the MLB, Chase has won the All-Star six times, once the World Series with several other honors and awards that grace his career.
Chase Utley Bio/Early Career
Utley was born in Pasadena, California, on December 17, 1978, but grew up in Long Beach, both in the United States of America. His parents are David (a lawyer) and Terrel Utley. He has a younger sister named Taylor Ann, who is seven years younger than him.
During his childhood, Chase had two hobbies – playing baseball and skateboarding. His father was especially interested in his son’s love of baseball and supported him and thought it was a hobby that could be developed further, but when it came to skateboarding he felt it was something that Chase would give up in time and that’s exactly how it came about. Chase owes his ability to hit with his left hand to his father, who encouraged him and made sure he developed his baseball skills.
Chase attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School where he played with the school’s baseball team. With every game he played, he improved and got better; according to his high school coach, Chase was the fastest hand he ever saw in his many years as a high school coach.
As a senior player, he hit over .500, struck twice with 80 strokes, and hit fourteen home runs. His repartee earned him so much attention that the Los Angeles Dodgers drafted him in the second round of the 1997 Major League Baseball draft, but he turned down the offer of a scholarship to the University of California Los Angeles.
While in college, Chase Utley played for the UCLA Bruins, led them to the NCAA Super Regionals, and was elected to the All-Pac 10 team. While at UCLA, Chase Utley played for the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
ALSO READ: Louis Farrakhan Children, Wife, Parents, Net Worth, Bio
Utley also played for several teams in the Phillies’ farm system, including the Batavia Muckdogs of the Class A-Short Season New York-Penn League, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons of the Class AAA International League, and the Clearwater Phillies of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League. In 2001 he was selected for the All-Star Futures Game and in 2003 he made the leap to the All-Star Team of the International League after the season.
Chase Utley Professional Career
Chase Utley made his professional debut in the Major League on April 4, 2003, for the Philadelphia Phillies as a pinch hitter in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. On April 30, he was relegated to the Minor League but was called back in August to take over from Plácido Polanco at second base. At the end of the season, he averaged 0.239 in forty-three games.
In 2005, the Philadelphia section of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America selected Chase as a co-recipient of the 2005 Mike Schmidt Most Valuable Player Award, and the following year he became part of the baseball team that represented the United States at the 2006 World Baseball Classic. In July of the same year, he was named National League Player of the Month.
In 2007, he signed a seven-year, $85 million contract to continue with the Phillies. However, his performance that season was affected by a metacarpal injury that kept him out of the game for some time as he came back from injury and helped his team get back on track by winning the National League East Division title.
In 2009, he was ranked 6th on Sporting News’ list of current best players in baseball. Chase Utley remained with the Phillies until August when he moved to the Los Angeles Dodgers for John Richy and Darnell Sweeney. Since then he has renewed his contract with the team twice; in February 2017 he signed a one-year $2 million contract with the team and in February 2018 he signed again for two years. However, Utley has announced his intention to retire from professional baseball after the 2018 season.
Chase Utley’s Family: Wife, Kids
The MLB star is married to a beautiful and charming lady, Jennifer Utley. The couple met at the University of California in Los Angeles. After spending a few years together, they married in 2007, and now live in Sausalito, California, during the off-season, and are the proud parents of two wonderful boys – Benjamin and Maxwell Utley.
ALSO READ: Zachary Levi – Who Is His Wife, Is He Divorced or Dating a Girlfriend?
His Salary
The MLB player is considered one of the best baseball players of his generation, and over the course of his career, which has spanned well over a decade, he has signed several contracts that have increased his bank account. His most recent contract is a $2 million contract he signed with the Dodgers in February 2018, bringing his base salary to $2 million from 2018.
Other Facts About The MLB Player
During his studies at UCLA, he majored in sociology. He loves to travel and Italy is one of his favorite destinations. He loves to play video games.
Growing up, Chase Utley was never interested in animals, but now the gamer and his wife are avid animal lovers. They once raised over $45,000 for the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
His favorite food is sushi and his best movie is Braveheart.
