Inside The Mets

Former New York Mets Rival Makes Great Joke About London Series

Former Philadelphia Phillies star Chase Utley knows how New York Mets fans feel about him.

Tyler Maher

Aug 4, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies former second baseman Chase Utley.
Aug 4, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies former second baseman Chase Utley. / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
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There's no love lost between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies, especially as far as Chase Utley is concerned.

The Mets and Phillies have been fierce rivals for decades, but their animosity may have peaked during the first half of Utley's career. The two teams fought some heavyweight battles for the NL East during those days, finishing either first or second every year from 2006 to 2008.

It goes without saying that New Yorkers aren't too fond of Utley these days. It didn't help that he frequently killed the Mets, batting .281/.374/.526 with 39 home runs and 118 RBIs in 194 career games against them.

Surprisingly, though, it was a controversial play that occurred after he left Philadelphia that permanently cemented his villain status in the minds of New Yorkers.

The play occurred during the 2015 NLDS between the Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers. Utley, who'd been traded to the Dodgers that season, slid hard and late into shortstop Ruben Tejada while trying to break up a double play in Game 2. Utley's infamously dirty play broke Tejada's leg, ending his season and altering the trajectory of his career.

Nearly a decade later, many New Yorkers still haven't forgiven Utley. Needless to say, he won't be showing his face around NYC prior to next month's two-game series in London between the Mets and Phillies from June 8-9.

When reporters jokingly asked him if he was going to do any promotional work at Citi Field prior to Thursday's contest between the two divisional rivals, Utley responded with a joke of his own. Even New York fans couldn't help but laugh.

Not surprisingly, Utley said he will not be doing any promotional work in the Big Apple, saying he "never got a phone call."

If he did, he would have heard plenty of boos on the other end of the line.

Published
Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler is a writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. He grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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