Growing up in New York City and Northern New Jersey, Anthony Volpe pictured himself starring for the Yankees in the postseason.
“The last swing of the day is always bottom of the ninth, two outs, win the World Series, stuff like that,” Volpe, now the Yankees’ starting shortstop, told the Daily News of his childhood. “I think that’s every kid.”
Volpe added that he witnessed a few postseason victories at Yankee Stadium, as he attended the Bombers’ wild card wins over the Twins in 2017 and A’s in 2018. He also saw the Yankees get blown out by the Red Sox in Game 3 of the 2018 ALDS.
“I was lucky to go to a couple [playoff] games growing up,” he said. “That’s just what it’s all about. To me, it’s what being a Yankee is.”
Next Saturday, Volpe will no longer be a kid with an active imagination or a fan roaring from the stands. Instead, the 23-year-old and a few other teammates will get their first taste of October baseball when the Yankees host the start of the American League Division Series in the Bronx.
“I’m so excited to get there and see how different it is,” Jasson Domínguez, 21, told The News with his postseason role still up in the air. “It’s really hard to have a picture in my head because I’ve never been [to the playoffs]. I was in the minor leagues, but it’s not the same. It’s not even close. But I’ve seen it in the past, and it seems to be intense.”
“I’m really looking forward to it,” added 25-year-old Austin Wells, who has been a force at and behind the plate all season.
For Volpe, his first trip to the playoffs is coming in his sophomore season. Domínguez, Wells and Luis Gil, a 26-year-old who could start in the ALDS, still have their rookie status intact.
“It’s amazing for them to be able to do that early in their careers,” Luke Weaver told The News. “Sometimes the situation and things don’t quite happen right away.”
Weaver would know, as the self-described “sneaky” veteran is in his ninth season. The former failed starter turned unofficial closer has logged 658.1 innings in his career.
None of them have come in the postseason, which is why Weaver is not taking this “special” opportunity for granted.
“I don’t know if there’s a gauge for that,” the 31-year-old Weaver said when asked to imagine what the playoffs might be like. “I think I’m starting to kind of see some of it unravel with some of these close games down the wire here.
“You’re starting to feel the anticipation and the vibe kind of rising. It’s putting out a type of nerve that is enjoyable and kind of infectious.”
Like his younger teammates, Weaver envisioned himself in playoff situations as a kid. Back then, he did the hitting in those grand, imagined moments. Now he’s trying to keep the ball in the park.
Weaver has watched a lot of postseason baseball as a big leaguer, even if he hasn’t participated in such a game. The early parts of his offseasons have been spent on the couch, glued to the TV. He’s felt the “electricity” through the broadcasts and paid close attention to how players across the league performed under pressure.
Volpe took similar notes when he and Clarke Schmidt recently watched highlights from the 2009 World Series, the Yankees’ last championship. He’s also talked to Yankees of yesteryear at Old-Timers’ Day, picking their brains about how to handle baseball’s biggest stage.
None of that will adequately prepare Volpe and the Yankees’ other postseason newbies for the real thing. There’s just no way of knowing what the playoffs feel like until you take the field.
One thing Volpe does know, however, is that Yankee Stadium is going to be a “madhouse.” He and his peers can’t wait.
“It’s the best fans in the game,” Wells said. “Best fans in the world. So having that stadium packed up for the playoffs is going to be really special.”
