Mar 24, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (77) is congratulated in the Yankees dugout after hitting a two run home run in the third inning against the Minnesota Twins at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dave Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
MLB: Spring Training-Minnesota Twins at New York Yankees
(New York, NY) – Prior to the 2019 major league draft, Anthony Volpe had verbally committed to Vanderbilt University. The straight-A student was focused on pursuing baseball as well as academics. He’d been a star on the diamond and in the classroom at Delbarton in Morristown, and his high school teammate and close friend Jack Leiter was also set to attend Vanderbilt on a scholarship.
It turns out a fateful dinner at Morristown’s Roots Steakhouse changed everything, as explained by the New York Post’s Ian O’Connor. New York Yankees executive and longtime scout Jim Hendry wanted the team to pick Volpe in the draft, as the club held the 30th overall pick. But first, the front office needed to be convinced that Volpe was interested in pursuing the major leagues right away, if drafted.
The now 21-year-old Volpe grew up a massive Yankees fan – specifically idolizing fellow New Jersey native Derek Jeter. He’s now set to become the Yankees’ youngest Opening Day starter since Jeter in 1996. And that 2019 dinner is a big reason why, according to people in the know. Basically, Hendry told Volpe and his family that college baseball is a great experience. He spoke glowingly of his time coaching Creighton in the 1990s. Hendry explained he held Volpe in high regard as a prospect, which was why he wanted to suggest bypassing the college ranks and agreeing to join the Yankees instead. His pitch? This could be Volpe’s only chance to ever be a Yankee.
Hendry compared Volpe to the Houston Astros’ Alex Bregman, who was drafted near the top of the draft after excelling at LSU. The Yankees executive made the case New York will never be drafting that high, given the club’s perennial success. Volpe’s future success would likely mean he’d never play for the team he grew up rooting for.
When reached for comment on the story by The Post, Volpe recalled how authentic and genuine Hendry was during the dinner. The Yankees did in fact use that first round pick on the Jersey kid who was raised on the Upper East Side, with a grandfather who was a diehard Mickey Mantle fan. It stands to reason that Volpe will soon become familiar with some of the amazing steakhouses New York City has to offer. A major league salary comes in handy with that type of thing. But chances are, he’ll never forget the dinner he once had at Roots Steakhouse in Morristown.
