Philadelphia Phillies legend Chase Utley is threw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to Wednesday’s World Series Game 4, and a current member of the team had some thoughts.
“Am I going to have to catch it?” Noah Syndergaard joked, according to Tim Healey of Newsday.
Syndergaard was involved in an ejection-inducing fracas with Utley in 2016. The home plate umpire ejected Syndergaard, then a member of the New York Mets, after he started a third-inning at-bat against Utley, then with the Los Angeles Dodgers, with a fastball that sailed behind the second baseman. Manager Terry Collins came out to argue the decision and was also tossed.
The beef stemmed from Game 2 of the 2015 National League Division Series between the two teams when Utley aggressively slid into Mets second baseman Ruben Tejada to break up a double play. Tejada suffered a broken leg from the incident.
Syndergaard said he and Utley have never discussed the ordeal “face-to-face.”
“I’ve always admired the way (Utley) played the game,” the right-hander added when asked if he feels differently now that he’s on the Phillies’ side. “He’s a tremendous talent, and I’m glad to be able to put on the same uniform as him.”
Syndergaard, acquired midseason from the Los Angeles Angels, is slated to start Thursday’s Game 5 against the Houston Astros at Citizens Bank Park.
Utley’s ceremonial first pitch wound up getting caught by Rob McElhenney, a co-star of the comedy TV show “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.”
