The Phillies honored Chase Utley tonight with a pregame ceremony, and as far pregame ceremonies go, it was, well, a real home run.

Some quick notes:

  • Mike Schmidt and Charlie Manuel drew the biggest applause from the sellout crowd, but Ruben Amaro Jr. and Ed Wade got some love, too. Not sure the crowd was ready for former Phillies catching and bullpen coach Mick Billmeyer or backup catcher Brian Schneider though.
  • The crowd went insane when a clip of Utley’s famous 2008 “World F***ing Champions” speech appeared on the video board.
  • The reception for Utley as he took the field was outstanding.

  • He first acknowledged the importance of David Montgomery, who passed away earlier this year.
  • He had some kind words for Charlie Manuel. “Thank you for being you,” he said of Manuel.
  • He also thanked Phillies fans for being crazy, loyal, straight-forward, and picking him up when he was down.
  • He took the field to Kashmir as the Phillies made their way out to their positions prior to the first inning and left it to one final ovation. Cool moment.

But the definitive highlight of the night came when Utley FINALLY had a catch with Mac from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. An awesome moment that you can see, along with the entire ceremony, after the jump.

Even if you don’t watch the show, you probably know Mac’s love letter to Utley. Super cringy, very funny. If you don’t, here’s a refresher:


Who says dreams can’t come true?

You can view the full ceremony right here: