MIAMI -- Chase Utley announced Friday that he will be retiring at the conclusion of the 2018 season. In Miami, on Friday afternoon, Philadelphia manager Gabe Kapler recalled the Phillies legend's first career home run over 15 years ago, which he watched fly over his head in right field.
"I had heard about Chase Utley. He's a UCLA guy, so I had known about him," Kapler said, as a smile crept onto his face, reminiscing about his playing days. "But this was his first exposure to the Major Leagues."
Kapler, a member of the Colorado Rockies at the time, was in right field when Utley stepped into the box with the bases loaded, in search of his first Major League hit.