I’ve been thinking a lot about Anthony Volpe, and I think that’s the problem. We’ve all been thinking a lot about Anthony Volpe, giving him much more mental real estate than an average shortstop needs.
For me, and probably a lot of us, it started long before he got the Bronx. Yankee fans were obviously aware of him, for the same reason older readers were aware of Ruben Rivera and Brien Taylor a generation ago, the same reason we wonder when we’ll see the real Jasson Domínguez, the same reason we can’t wait for Carlos Lagrange and George Lombard, Jr.
It’s the Mythology, and no organization is better at writing mythology than your New York Yankees. Ruben Rivera was the compared to Mickey Mantle, Jasson Domínguez’s talents were so otherworldly that he became the Martian, and Carlos Lagrange is essentially unhittable. We buy into that mythology for the same reasons people have latched on to good stories for all of eternity. The human brain is wired for story, an evolutionary device that likely showed up around early campfires as our ancestors compared notes about the best ways to hunt dangerous prey. It lingers today as we trade memories while laughing through tears at a wake or open a dinner conversation with, “This you are not gonna believe…”
So as much as the analysts want to dig into WAR and OPS+, our lizard brains still crave the narrative, and so it has been with Anthony Volpe. He was thankfully never burdened with superstar comparisons, and even when people hoped he’d be the next Derek Jeter, they weren’t expecting that he’d retire with more hits than anyone but five people in baseball history, they just thought he’d have a twenty-year career playing shortstop in the Bronx. It wasn’t too much to ask.
The story around Volpe wasn’t about baseball legends. We didn’t see Mantle or DiMaggio when we looked at him, we saw ourselves. This is a kid who was born in Manhattan and grew up as a Yankee fan on the Upper East Side. When he got his first invite to the Yankees’ major league spring training camp — and this is the part of the story that always gets me — his father thought he was too busy to fly down for his first exhibition game. His mother knew better, so she made him go down with Anthony’s grandfather. Father and grandfather were sitting in the stands when the PA announcer said for the first time, “Now batting for the New York Yankees, Anthony Volpe.” The two grown men turned to each other and wept.
A few years later Volpe came to bat with the bases loaded in the third inning of Game 4 of the 2024 World Series with the Yankees trailing 2-1 in the game and 3-0 in the series. His game-turning grand slam did more than just push his team to a win, it cemented his place in our psyche. In that moment, he was us and we were him. When he took his position in the top of the fourth, the Stadium crowd greeted him by singing his name, and the die was cast.
We didn’t want Volpe to be Derek Jeter, we wanted him to fulfill our childhood dreams which hadn’t come true, the ones where we looked up into the stands in March to see our father or the ones where we hit a game-winning grand slam in October. And because he has shown himself to be just an adequate fielder with a .224 career batting average, we don’t just question him for failing and Aaron Boone for playing him and Brian Cashman for supporting him, we question ourselves.
Rain today washes out the game. Interesting day in New York tomorrow. Yankees-Dodgers at 12:30, Spain-Argentina at 3:00, Yankees Dodgers at 7:30. Sign me up for all three!
Thanks Hank. I was going to miss tonight’s game anyway. Early bedtime, more rest for the bruised noggin.
Jomboy broke down Volpe's plate appearances recently. About 1,886 plate appearances in 3 years. No one has been less productive than him with that many. NOBODY. He is also terrible at turning double plays. No bueno.
Well, this hasn’t been much fun. I don’t think Schlittler was bad, the Dodger hitters were just better, fouling off pitches and pushing his pitch count. A couple balls lost in the sun led to runs that weren’t unearned but weren’t earned either, and this game is done. 7-1 Dodgers with more coming. An ugly loss.
Jeebus, 2 hits, one run? I’m glad the interwebs is on the fritz.
Even great teams lose games 8-1, but not often when their ace, the front runner for the Cy Young, is on the mound. This one stings.
At least the Rays keep losing — but so do the Red Sox. Thirteen straight!
Hey it's my least favorite play in baseball. Running into an out at home on a ground ball to the drawn in infield.
I agree about the contact play, but that must be just because I only notice it when it doesn’t work. All teams do it, so the numbers must support it. I guess.
Please walk. Please walk. Please walk.
JFC.
Oi.
Serves me right for thinking I could just casually head outside to grill and drink a beer.
I left with the dog at 1-0.
Not sure when I’ve felt so relieved for a win in July.
Nice. Beats losing.
Back brace is about 5 lbs (can’t trust the scale) no wonder I’m tired every evening.
Seventeen days ago a Red Sox fan friend of mine texted me and said, “I almost hope the Yankees sweep the Red Sox so we can officially have the worst record in the American League.” The Red Sox haven’t lost since. Fourteen wins in a row after tonight’s walkoff.
Split DH tomorrow. So I get to spend more time on summer vacation.
Seriously, would it hurt recruiters to look over resumes, cover letters, and call references?
Huh, defense.
When did Spencer Jones get back? Also, Cole’s numbers are looking good so far!
FU, Blue!
Ah, so I have to leave so they can score
Sigh
Well today has sucked . . . so far.
Dog #2 has a fatal heart murmur.
Pirates at Yankees is “unavailable” in . . .
Newport News.
And now “Apple tv.” MLB sure is promoting the action by making it so hard to watch.
Great win! Man, Schlittler was dominant, and the bullpen behind him was just as good. A fun watch. (Sorry for those who couldn’t see it.)
Hank, what about this?
Took the 1st 2 in philly. Not bad for a team that has trouble scoring.
Glad they took the first 2 in Philly. Not feeling overly confident today. Sanchez is going to be tough.
Line drive in the box score. Good for Goldie
When did Volpe get called up?
Grocery shopping in the morning
[29] Big missed opportunity.
Yankees currently have $144M on the injured list. Judge, Stanton, Rodón, and Bellinger. It’s not what you want.
My patience for Jazz is wearing thin. This inning would be a lot different if he had caught the throw from Schueman. Grichuk was dead to rights. I have no idea how that was a double and not an error on Jazz. The throw was perfect, and he just dropped it.
A lot of two-out runs in this game…
Stanton, with a strained right calf, has been out since April 24. Is this guy incapable of healing???
Bellinger, with 11 HR and a .770 OPS, WPA of 0.7, has a war of 4.0
Ben Rice, with 31 HR and a .947 OPS, WPA of 2.7, has a War of 2.9
(Yes, Cody has a much better dWAR)
Has (2026) Bellinger been more valuable than Rice?
3rd base is considered a 'hot corner' because of RH batters.
Isn't 1B a hot corner for LH batters? And doesn't a 1BMan other tasks aside from just fielding. Isn't it more difficult for a 1Bman to make a DP than a 3rd baseman?
I saw years of Mattingly play 1st base. Believe me, the way he played, it was NOT a very easy position.
I know he's still young, but was the hype on Jaason (ie: the Martian) ridiculous? Is he gonna be a force going forward? Should we be playing him more regularly? (I would guess now with Judge and Cody out that he WILL see regular playing time).
Is the only reason we are keeping Volpe because he's cheap? (although it's crazy that $3,475,000/yr is considered cheap!)
With 2/3rds of the season gone. Trent Grisham has 0.8 WAR... which is basely above replacement level. Would you agree with that assessment? He is getting paid $22 million/yr.
I would like to see a WAR stat that is an ACTUAL contribution (no positional adjustment)
Hey... you guys might like this:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YImo-y9hHF4?feature=share
Let’s have a win, to soften my dr. from yelling at me tomorrow.
That’s good
Who could have guessed that having a runner on 3rd 2x with less than 2 outs and not scoring would come back to haunt the Yankees this game?
[43]. You mean a fifth run would be helpful on the road?
They got away with going scoreless over the last seven innings last night. Not tonight, I guess.
Tie game on the road in the ninth. Feels like about a ten percent chance of victory here.
Escaping the ninth ups their chances to 14%, at least according to their 1-6 road record in extras this season.
That was terrible Trent!
This is going to be a really bad loss.
With Cam heading to the mound in the seventh with a 4-0 lead, I would have set this game as a 99% win.
Wow. Can’t believe they escaped that.
Ha!
Absolutely unbelievable.
That's the dumbest fucking thing I have seen in a long time.
Unless your name is Tony Peña, you should not be throwing down to third in that situation. Or any situation, really. Just a preposterous decision.
If this looked like a bad loss in the tenth, what would this loss be now?
Hope we don't need that challenge, Jose.
Nice hit, Jose!
I don’t like this game.
They officially deserve to lose.
[59] You know how it is going to end. You just don't know when.
Such a stupid, stupid loss.
Jeebus. I go to bed up 4-0 and they find a way to lose.! And no coffee or breakfast for me this morning, dr. appointment.
Grumble.
Lead off CI and the Yankees still can’t score.
I saw that overslide coming.
I’ll take two runners on
I can hear Scooter going off on that bad bunt.
Of course.
I don’t much like today’s game either.
I can't get too upset when they deserve to lose. Again.
“These are the times that try men’s souls.”
~Thomas Paine, 1776
“These are the times when I wish I didn’t have to watch all the games.”
~Hank Waddles, 2026, after watching two of the worst extra-inning losses he’s ever endured on consecutive days.
13.2 innings, one run from Schlittler and Weathers, two losses for the Yankees.
Pathetic loss.
Yanks win! Rays lose. Good day to be a Yankee fan.
Finally.
But tonight’s game, 7:15 pm, on Fox. Uh oh.