Chase Utley was hailed as a hero in his return to Philadelphia

Every day is Chase Utley Day in Philadelphia.

For nearly a minute, the crowd roared for their hero before giving him another ovation after he flied out to warning track in left-center.

At some point next season, the Phillies plan on having a big ceremony for Utley when he is officially retired. For now, in-game recognition will have to do for the beloved second baseman.

There were huge cheers even before Monday’s game, when Utley was announced during pregame lineups.

With each time he came to the plate, the scoreboard flashed a throwback picture.

Speaking to the media Monday afternoon, Utley spoke about the fans and his love for what they did for his career.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while now,” Utley said. “Thinking about how I wanted to go out and I thought it was important to let Philadelphia Phillies fans to know it was the last chance I’d have to play here.

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports