NEW YORK — The extra the highlight is on his particular person efforts, the softer Anthony Volpe’s voice turns into.
When the Yankees shortstop is requested about his efficiency in a given recreation, he tends to dismiss the magnitude of his heroics earlier than redirecting the highlight to his teammates. That’s the way it went late Tuesday night time, moments after hitting a grand slam for his first profession playoff dwelling run and being introduced into the Yankees press field to debate it.
While this wasn’t only a typical Grand Slam — it gave the Yankees a much-needed early lead over the Dodgers in a Game 4 World Series elimination — Volpe sat on the podium with the identical shy demeanor and soft-spoken voice that he carried out since his main league debut final 12 months. Only when requested to hint his Yankees fandom did the 23-year-old sit up slightly straighter and appear extra assured, extra confident, in entrance of the cameras and the intense lights.
“My grandfather, the Yankees are greater than only a group or a corporation to him,” Volpe mentioned. “Because his father fought in World War II when he was little, and when he got here again, his mom principally mentioned to him, ‘This is your father.’ He did not know him, he did not acknowledge him, he did not know something about the best way he says it, the best way he knew and knew his father, sat on his lap each single night time, and so they listened to the Yankees collectively So, for him , it is greater than sport.”
It’s a narrative he is instructed earlier than, however by no means on the most important nationwide stage, when there are extra eyes and a focus on the second-year shortstop than he is ever seen. Volpe’s shy nature means we might by no means know, at the least not for some time, how a lot this Grand Slam that sparked an 11-4 victory meant to him. But seeing him focus on his teammates’ exploits greater than his personal, and listening to him inform the story of how a lot the Yankees group means to his household, it is easy to see that Volpe’s driving power as an athlete facilities on working arduous to the individuals round him. him.
If they’re successful, then so is he.
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“I really like him, he is like slightly brother to me,” Anthony Rizzo mentioned of Volpe. “He works so arduous. He cares a lot about his teammates. He by no means actually will get down. So, for him to have that second within the World Series, hometown boy, is fairly particular.”
The Yankees compelled a Game 5 in opposition to the Dodgers not by the hands of Juan Soto, Aaron Judge or Giancarlo Stanton. On a chilly Tuesday night time within the Bronx, it was the Baby Bombers who prevailed within the largest recreation of their careers to this point.
After Volpe, Yankees rookie catcher Austin Wells is the third youngest participant on the Yankees’ World Series roster. He was 0 for 8 on the plate within the Fall Classic when Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone benched him for Game 3. Rizzo mentioned it was troublesome for Wells to look at from the bench, particularly for the reason that Yankees have been down 3–0 within the Series, nevertheless it solely made the best way he responded Tuesday that rather more efficient.
Wells ripped a 406-foot double off the pad in heart subject in his first at-bat of the night time, then crushed a solo shot to proper subject to guide off the sixth. Not solely did the rookie’s second dwelling run of the postseason double the Yankees’ lead that had been reduce to at least one, nevertheless it reminded the 49,354 followers in attendance that regardless of how this World Series ends, the Yankees’ future might be vivid behind Volpe and Wells.
“It’s probably not a friendship anymore. It’s a brotherhood,” Volpe mentioned of his relationship with Wells. “We’ve been by means of all of it collectively. The highest of highs and, sooner or later, the bottom of lows. He’s my first name, my final name. I do know he has my again by means of thick and skinny. Having a second like that, for him, having a second like that’s particular, however doing it collectively, you possibly can’t commerce it for something on this planet.”
The Yankees catcher echoed Volpe’s sentiment and added that it was clear to him as quickly as he met the shortstop within the Yankees’ minor league system that they’d the identical objectives of with the ability to contribute to a historic franchise. Neither wished to be a celebrity per se. They simply wished to assist the Yankees win one other title, even when all they supplied have been modest contributions. Alas, the friction at Volpe’s serve was something however.
Wells mentioned Volpe’s grand slam within the third inning — which adopted one other Freddie Freeman dwelling run within the first — allowed the Yankees to take a deep breath, calm down and luxuriate in enjoying baseball. He mentioned his teammates have been simply ready for that “massive swing” to interrupt out of the funk that had marked three straight World Series losses.
“I feel within the state of affairs we have been in, we simply wanted to say screw it, chase it and have enjoyable as a result of some guys would possibly by no means get again to the World Series once more,” Wells mentioned. “So, I’m simply having fun with the sport, and I feel that allowed us to play much more relaxed tonight.”
It’s now well-known that Volpe grew up in New Jersey rooting for the Bronx Bombers and idolizing Derek Jeter. Now that he is really in Jeter’s footwear, the strain to excel on the highest degree, in entrance of the most important media market on this planet, all whereas being scrutinized for each mistake, massive or small, generally is a lot. Perhaps among the rigidity obtained to Volpe within the second inning, when he misinterpreted Wells’ lengthy double and tried to rally from second earlier than having to carry on to 3rd.
Volpe ended up touching dwelling plate on Alex Verdugo’s RBI groundout, and he greater than made up for his gaffe together with his grand slam. But after the match he nonetheless took accountability: “It’s utterly as much as me.” Initially pissed off with himself, Volpe relaxed after his teammates reminded him by means of their glorious banter in Game 4 that they might get him.
At occasions, his quiet demeanor makes him appear to be one of the vital critical guys on the Yankees roster. But lefty Nestor Cortes set the file straight.
“He has slightly hearth in him. Somewhat enthusiasm,” Cortes mentioned. “He’s slightly cheeky. He’s getting slightly smarter, which is sweet. It’s good for him. He’s come throughout as a extremely touted prospect. Lots of people anticipated him to be the subsequent Jeter. He’s very arduous to I feel he will be a extremely good participant – he already is, I feel he will embrace who he’s and write his personal narrative and his personal chapter right here.
Volpe was glorious this postseason even earlier than turning into the fourth-youngest participant to hit a World Series grand slam. He entered the Fall Classic batting .310 with eight walks, six runs scored and an .804 OPS in 9 playoff video games. Now, the shortstop is the Yankees’ World Series RBI chief with 5. More importantly, he’s the primary cause there might be a Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday.
Maybe when he data extra moments like his Grand Slam, he’ll stand slightly taller, converse slightly louder and are available out of his shell.
But what Volpe has proven us to this point in his younger profession is that he does not want the massive highlight or outrageous comparisons to a Yankees Hall of Famer to face out for his group.
He simply must be himself.
“The extra he does it, the extra he must go on the market and speak,” Cortes mentioned. “The extra he turns into a participant within the recreation, I feel you will see his character slightly extra.”
Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. He beforehand coated the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.
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