We made it. The last pitch of the Yankees' season is always the saddest day of the year—whether they are winners or losers. For the last 14 years, well they have been losers and that just made the winter even bitter. But this year, it feels different. Aaron Judge is the Captain, a position vacant for nine years. And the kid that grew up rooting for our last captain, yea, well he just made the team. It is one day until Yankee baseball and guess what? I think it is will the best one yet.
"Anthony Volpe was 8 years old on that crisp November afternoon in 2009, just another beaming face at the Yankees’ championship parade, basking in the glory of a World Series title. He could not tell exactly who was gliding by, but to him they were all legends," reported the New York Times who did an expose on the new Yankee talent. Anthony Volpe making the 2023 team is honestly the second best thing to happen to the Yankees in years. The first, clearly Aaron Judge.
As the Times continues, "Volpe will be the youngest member of the Yankees’ opening day lineup since Jeter, also 21, in 1996. That season ended in a championship, the first of five for Jeter. None of his successors have led the Yankees back to the World Series since 2009, and now it is Volpe’s turn to try." It feels like Christmas to me. The Yankees made a bold move; one that they have not been willing to make since the 1990s. And it is just that kind of move that positions them to not only be dominant but edgy.
The challenge will be for the Yankees is can they remain bold even if Volpe doesn't quite have it all together right away. They certainly hung in there with Jeter and Judge respectively and if they want Volpe to be great, they need to give him great mentoring, coaching and time.
"Judge hit .179 in his first taste of the majors in 2016, striking out in half of his at-bats. Yet he made the opening day lineup the next season, won the American League Rookie of the Year Award and was on his way to becoming the sport’s premier slugger." reported The Times.
The Yankees have a long season ahead of them and us with them. If you are like me, you are locked in for 162 games and hopefully a long postseason. Plenty of time for the Yankees to gel, develop and create a culture for winning and improvement collectively. Opening Day is the first day for Volpe to make his mark. Will it be his best game? Likely not. But for him, it will be the best day ever.
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--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof
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