Watch: Utley gets standing ovation in Philly return

They don't call it the City of Brotherly Love for nothing.

Chase Utley, public enemy No. 1 in some NL East circles, was given the royal treatment Tuesday prior to his first-inning at-bat in Philadelphia, where the former Phillies second baseman received nearly a 1 1/2-minute standing ovation from the crowd and players at Citizens Bank Park.

Tuesday's game between the Phillies and Dodgers marked Utley's first visit to Philadelphia since he was traded to Los Angeles last August. With Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez on the mound, Utley struck out on five pitches - giving fans even more to cheer about.

''We had a lot of great times here at this stadium,'' said Utley, who helped the Phillies to win five straight NL East titles and the 2008 World Series, according to The Associated Press.

''I spent so much time here, so many great memories. I can't really say enough about the support I received. Obviously we had some great players and great coaches, but the fans kind of took us to the next level.''

Selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2000 draft, Utley established himself as one of the top second basemen in baseball during his 13-year-run in Philadelphia, where he hit 233 homers, 346 doubles, and posted an .847 OPS over 1,551 games. A six-time All-Star, Utley compiled 36.6 WAR during his peak years from 2006-2010, more than double Dan Uggla, the next closest second baseman over that span.

(Video courtesy: MLB.com)