MLB WORLD SERIES: YANKEES VS DODGERS

October 29, 2024

Anthony Volpe

Yankee Stadium

New York Yankees

Postgame 4 Press Conference

Yankees - 11, Dodgers - 4

Q. Anthony, can you describe the emotion you were feeling when you drove that ball in the third to see it go out?

ANTHONY VOLPE: No, I think I pretty much blacked out as soon as I saw it go over the fence. No, we just want to keep putting pressure on them, and I think everyone had confidence in everyone in the lineup that someone was going to get the big hit.

We've been having such good at-bats and putting such good swings on the ball, that we just felt like it was only a matter of time.

Q. What did you think it was about your at-bats tonight, your approach tonight that yielded the positive results?

ANTHONY VOLPE: We were just prepared. They did a bullpen game, and it's kind of tough to prepare for. Their guys have really good stuff, but we just had so much confidence in everyone going in that we just couldn't wait to play.

Q. On the list of coolest moments of your life, where does being on the field for the ninth inning while the entire stadium chants your name and you're about to win a World Series game rank?

ANTHONY VOLPE: Number one. Definitely number one.

Q. Even ahead of hitting the home run, or the grand slam?

ANTHONY VOLPE: Yeah, probably.

Q. With everything today and the home run and the chanting, do you think back at all about 15 years ago, you're standing there at the parade watching them?

ANTHONY VOLPE: Not yet. Hopefully when we win the World Series and I'm with family, we can all reflect on everything. It was just a big game. We just wanted to go 1-0 today and win today and see where it took us.

Q. How did you shake off the early home run by Freeman and just not get too down over that?

ANTHONY VOLPE: We're just going to play our game. We feel like if we do that and we play the way we know we're capable of playing, they can -- they're obviously a good team, and they can do what they do and whatever they want to do.

Like I said, we just have so much confidence in us that we play -- if we play that way, we feel like we'll win.

Q. Your old Minor League affiliate was having a lot of fun with pictures of you and Austin from back in the day. How fun is that to share that with him, like the regular stuff all year, and the fun you had tonight?

ANTHONY VOLPE: It's not really a friendship anymore. It's a brotherhood. We've been through it all together. The highest of highs and at some point the lowest of lows. He's my first call, my last call.

Like I said, it's more than a friendship. It's a brotherhood. I know he has my back through thick and thin.

Like you said, to have a moment like that, for him to have a moment like that is special, but to do it together, you can't trade it for anything.

Q. How many times have you envisioned having a night like this growing up?

ANTHONY VOLPE: Probably every night, yeah.

Q. Is it also surreal to have -- after the game, you're interviewed by Derek Jeter. Obviously you looked up to him. Is it surreal to have that happen to you, just dreaming about having a night like this as well?

ANTHONY VOLPE: Yeah, it is pretty crazy to think about. It's my dream, but it was all my friends' dreams, all my cousins' dreams, probably my sister's dream too. But winning the World Series was first and foremost by far. Nothing else compares. So still got a lot of work to do.

Q. During that interview with Jeter, it looked like David Ortiz tried to give you something. What did you do with that shirt?

ANTHONY VOLPE: It's yet to be determined what I'll probably do, but I've got it in my locker. I can't wear it. It's got him and Red Sox stuff on it.

Q. Anthony, before your night got a lot better, the first time out there, it seemed like you were pretty frustrated with yourself for not scoring on Austin's hit. To go from that frustration to what you did, how down were you feeling at that point before you turned it all around?

ANTHONY VOLPE: Yeah, that's completely on me. It's not a hard read, one we practice, one that Little Leaguers make. But Dugy picked me right back up. I was frustrated with myself because I feel like I've got to do better, but I was confident in Dugy that he was going to pick me up. Dugy, Gleyber, anyone. I feel like having that feeling and knowing that -- obviously everyone holds themselves accountable and to a really high standard, but just having the feeling that regardless what happens, your teammate's going to pick you up, and it just helps you play.

Q. And that's gone before you step to the plate again the next inning, right?

ANTHONY VOLPE: Yeah.

Q. Anthony, you understand what this team's up against right now. What gave you confidence coming into today that you could have a night like tonight?

ANTHONY VOLPE: The guys. We've been through so much the whole year. We're not going to go down easy at all.

Q. And then just for you personally, what do you think a night like tonight means?

ANTHONY VOLPE: I'm just trying to do my best and help the team win. The mindset, the approach, the preparation never changed regardless of any of the results. And I think that's what helps any player help the team win. When you have confidence in yourself and the guys around you and you feel like the guys around you have confidence in you, I feel like you could do anything.

Q. Anthony, were you looking slider?

ANTHONY VOLPE: No, I was looking fastball, but I saw him the night before and had a pretty good idea where I wanted the pitches to start.

Q. Anthony, how did the mood change in the dugout and in the stadium after your grand slam?

ANTHONY VOLPE: I mean, we were confident in the dugout the whole game, even after the first inning after we went down a couple runs. We just want to -- I mean, it's my first playoffs, but these have been probably the craziest things I've ever been a part of. So it's just foot on the gas always.

Q. How many friends and family members do you think you had in the crowd?

ANTHONY VOLPE: As many as they let us. My mom does all the tickets, so I don't even know really who got what, but I know she was grinding for as many as she could get.

Q. Anthony, can you trace your family's Yankee fandom? How far back does it go?

ANTHONY VOLPE: I mean, I think I've probably told the story maybe a couple of times. My grandfather, the Yankees are more than just a team or an organization for him because his father fought in World War II when he was little, and by the time he got back, his mom basically told him like this is your dad. He didn't know him, didn't recognize him, didn't anything.

The way he says it, the way he got to know and get to know his father was he sat on his lap every single night and they listened to the Yankees together. So for him, it's more than sports.