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Why Anthony Volpe's mother had to pinch him before the World Series

LOS ANGELES — The photo immediately went viral this week. It was the New York Yankees' 2009 World Series parade. A crowd of fans wearing Yankees gear crowded behind a metal railing. There was a boy in the front. He wore a wide, hard-edged smile. It was Anthony Volpe.

“It’s a funny picture,” he said Thursday. “My teeth have become much straighter since then.”

Volpe's dream career began when his childhood favorite team selected him in the first round in 2019. It will reach its highest peak yet when he starts at shortstop against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

Things haven't gotten that far for the 23-year-old. That's why his mother, Isabelle, had to pull him aside shortly after the Yankees beat the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Championship Series on Saturday.

“There are moments where my mom kind of pinched me right after the ALCS and helped me realize it,” he said Thursday before a team practice at the stadium.

“But once we win it – hopefully we win – everything will become clear,” Volpe continued. “But it’s been a wild ride getting here.”

His father, Michael Volpe, could hardly contain his excitement. Michael and Isabelle raised Anthony to be a die-hard Yankees fan, living in Manhattan before the family moved to New Jersey, where Anthony attended the Delbarton School before the Yankees selected him.

“I would be happy if the Yankees were just in the World Series,” Michael Volpe said. “But having my damn son on the team? My wife and I still can't believe it. It's incredible. The whole thing has been an incredible ride and we’re not done yet.”

Anthony Volpe still remembers the parade, even though he was only 8 years old at the time. On Thursday, he recited the entire lineup from memory.

“Just the excitement of the city,” he said. “I remember Jay-Z performing. These are central memories for me. How the team won. My sister's favorite player was Hideki Matsui and he won the (World Series) MVP. Just all those moments. Still with my friends, as we go through this now, they remember the same things and we have the same memories and that's what we talk about.”

When the Yankees end their World Series drought this year, Volpe will have played a big role. In his first postseason, he hit .310 with a .459 on-base percentage and more walks (eight) than strikeouts (six) in 37 plate appearances, starting in all nine games.

It came after a rough sophomore season for Volpe, who was again nominated for the Gold Glove but posted just an 86 OPS+ in 160 games. He hit 12 home runs with a .243 batting average and a .661 OPS.

When asked if Playoff Volpe was the real Volpe, he didn't hesitate.

“Yes, definitely,” he said.

Volpe said he didn't change his approach, but he did tinker with his swing. He also posted just an 81 OPS+ and hit 21 home runs last season, but had a .209 batting average in 159 games.

Former Yankees great Willie Randolph was a member of the Yankees team that last faced the Dodgers in the 1981 World Series. Randolph was with the club much of the playoffs, throwing out the first pitch of Game 2 of the AL Division Series. He has been close to Volpe since the Yankees drafted him.

“What impressed me is how he handled the situation he found himself in,” Randolph said. “I can understand that because I was there when he was his age. I'm just very happy with the fact that he can handle himself the way he did.

“He hit the ball with authority the other day. He starts with that, which is great. This means that he understands that it's not about the big, grandiose things. It's the little things. That's what he really does best. I'm really proud of the way he's learned this year. Because when you get to that point, players start getting big. At this point you want it to be small. Because the big thing is going to happen. But if you stay small, you put the ball in play, use your speed and pick up the ducks from third base. This is the right approach.”

Hitting coach James Rowson said “everything is falling into place” for Volpe, once considered one of the top prospects in baseball.

“He sets up a lot more balls,” Rowson said. “You see line drives in the middle of the field, more of the line drive approach, and he doesn't really work too many balls up or make a lot of balls miss. He practices baseball more often. Kind of like what he did at the beginning of the year. But I attribute that to having to go through ups and downs. He started doing that and the league made adjustments to him. They make adjustments to everyone in this league. It's the guys who can adapt again to stay in the league. It's the guys who can't make the adjustments that ultimately fizzle out and don't stay in this league. He shows that he is able to make adjustments.”

On Thursday, Volpe was still wistful about attending the 2009 World Series parade.

“I think that’s what’s special about playing in New York to win the World Series,” he said. “Fifteen years later, they’ll still be talking about it.”

And if Volpe can keep it up, they'll talk about him the same way.

– The Athlete'Britt Ghiroli contributed to this story.

(Photo: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)

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