It was a full-circle moment for Ben Rice.
The Massachusetts native and lifelong Yankees fan debuted with his dream team June 18, and battled his home-state team, the Red Sox, at Yankee Stadium on Friday night, a series he had eagerly anticipated.
“There will definitely be that tension in the atmosphere and that historic rivalry,” Rice said before Friday’s game. “So it’ll be a lot of fun.”Though he spent his three-year stint in the minors as a catcher, the 25-year-old Rice assumed Rizzo’s position and filled the roster hole immediately. “I feel like it was a full-circle moment,” Rice said. “Rooting for the team as a little kid, then actually seeing my name pop up on the screen when I was drafted by them, and knowing I was one step closer to getting to the big leagues, it was a great moment, something I’ll never forget.”Yankees’ Anthony Volpe needs to ‘keep making adjustments’ amid hitting funk: James Rowson
The Dartmouth product was moved to the leadoff spot just 15 games into his big-league career, Anthony Volpe moving to the No. 6 slot.“This is something I’ve always dreamed of since I was a little kid. What’s better than hitting a homer at Yankee Stadium right on the Fourth of July?” he said. Born and raised in Cohasset, Mass., the Yankees enthusiast — who mentioned he had “always been a huge Derek Jeter fan” — attended several Red Sox games growing up.“Any Yankees-Red Sox game at Fenway was a real treat,” the first baseman said. “Those were always the highlights because I felt like I knew every single player. I knew more on the Yankees than on the Red Sox.”“Any family is a Yankees fan these days, even if we are playing the Red Sox,” Rice said. “Lots of Yankees converters.
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