Another New York Yankees shortstop came up clutch in the World Series. And Derek Jeter was there to see it.
Anthony Volpe was the hero of Game 4 for the Yankees, who defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-4 to avoid a sweep on their home field. He hit a go-ahead grand slam in the third inning and finished 2-for-3 with a walk, three runs scored and two stolen bases.
After the victory, Volpe posed for a picture with Jeter, a fellow shortstop who had similar heroics in the World Series while leading the Yankees to five titles.
Papi to Volpe: "You my dawg"
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 30, 2024
Jeter to Volpe: "No no no. Don't take that" 😂 pic.twitter.com/dIfPJEVMlx
Jeter later posted the photo on social media with the caption, "Big night for @Yankees and @Volpe_Anthony!"
Big night for @Yankees and @Volpe_Anthony! pic.twitter.com/AaK1t9elM4
— Derek Jeter (@derekjeter) October 30, 2024
Prior to the Instagram-worthy moment, Volpe sat down with Jeter and the FOX broadcast crew for an on-field postgame interview. Jeter asked Volpe how it felt to hit a World Series grand slam, and he responded with a very Jeter-ian answer.
"The win has hit me, nothing else has hit me yet," Volpe said.
"I like it," Jeter responded.
Volpe had a busy night on the basepaths, and his dirt-stained uniform was evidence of that. He had a baserunning blunder in the second inning after misreading a double off the wall by Alex Verdugo and failing to score from second -- though he ultimately scored on a fielder's choice. He later manufactured an insurance run by stretching a single into a double, stealing third and beating the throw home on a fielder's choice attempt.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
The home crowd showed appreciation for his efforts by chanting his name during the top of the ninth inning.
It capped a storybook evening for the 23-year-old Volpe, a native New Yorker and lifelong Yankee fan.
"It means the world," Volpe said. "The Yankees and the organization and growing up watching these guys [Jeter and Alex Rodriguez], it had such a big impact on my life, my relationships, my relationship with my parents, my sister, everyone. The memories watching them, we still talk about it. I think that's what makes the Yankees the Yankees, and this city and these fans, everything about it. There is nothing like it."
He now has a picture with Jeter to commemorate the win. It will be the latest photo of Volpe circulating on social media during the World Series, joining a picture of him as a kid at the Yankees' 2009 championship parade.
Anthony Volpe at the 2009 World Series Parade 😭
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) October 20, 2024
(via @DaniWex) pic.twitter.com/eeiJ2BArBX
"Well one, you should have been in school instead of being at that parade," Jeter joked. "But right now, just think about it, man, you're a few wins away. Keep it going. You got a lot of kids in the New York-New Jersey area that want to grow up and be you. So, congratulations, man."
