NEW YORK — Anthony Volpe’s jersey was covered in mud as he fielded grounders at shortstop before the ninth inning of Game 4 of the World Series. The New York Yankees were on the brink of a win that would keep their season alive.

Then the most exciting moment of Volpe’s life occurred.

Like many kids who grew up playing baseball in the New York area, Volpe dreamed of becoming the Yankees’ shortstop and a franchise icon like his hero, Derek Jeter. Although the chances of such a dream becoming a reality are virtually impossible, Volpe now lives it every day.

His deep-rooted Yankees fandom spans generations. His great-grandfather emigrated from Italy and made a living selling fruit from a pushcart in downtown Manhattan. He later fought in World War II and returned home with shrapnel wounds. Volpe’s grandfather was just four years old when his father went to war, and upon his return they bonded over Yankees games on the radio. Every night, trying to make up for lost time, the two shared stories about life and baseball.

Growing up, Volpe wore No. 7 in honor of his grandfather’s idol, Mickey Mantle. So Tuesday night embodied a dream come true for Volpe and his ancestors. He launched a go-ahead grand slam in the third inning, giving the Yankees a 5–2 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers. He also stole two bases and became the first Yankee to hit a grand slam and steal multiple bases in a game (regular season or postseason) since none other than Mantle.

But the moment that stood out the most was when the Yankees led 11-4 in the ninth inning. Nearly 50,000 fans at Yankee Stadium erupted into chants of “Vol-pe! Vol-pe! Vol-pe!” He turned to the Bleacher creatures and greeted them, trying to keep his composure. Deep down, the 23-year-old was experiencing the pinnacle of his life’s journey.

“Number one,” Volpe exclaimed in pure joy. “Definitely number one.”

Yankee Stadium hadn’t erupted like it did on Tuesday in 15 years, not since Game 6 of the 2009 World Series. Shortly after that victory, an 8-year-old Volpe watched the championship parade with his family, dreaming of one day crossing the Canyon of Heroes to parade as fans chanted his name the same way he did for Jeter.

Fifteen years later, on the set of Fox’s postgame show, Jeter Volpe playfully made a comment, suggesting he should have been in school instead of the parade.

But with the Yankees down 3-1 in the World Series and history against them, Volpe admitted he hadn’t fully grasped the significance of Tuesday night.

“Hopefully when we win the World Series and I’m with my family, we can think about everything,” Volpe said. “It was just a big game. We wanted to go 1-0 today and see where it takes us.”

As a child, Volpe imagined nights like Tuesday “probably every night.” He doesn’t assume that this dream was shared by his friends, his cousins ​​and his sister Olivia. But winning the World Series always remained his greatest ambition.

Anthony Volpe could only dream of nights like Tuesday, but this time he made it a reality. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

“Nothing else compares,” Volpe said. “So there is still a lot of work to be done.”

Austin Wells, Volpe’s best friend on the team, felt the ground shake as Volpe hit his grand slam. The two had often discussed what this moment would feel like if they reached this stage together.

Wells spent countless nights at Volpe’s childhood home, watching old footage of the Yankees and imagining the electric atmosphere of an October crowd at Yankee Stadium. He did it on Tuesday, hitting a solo home run into the second deck to extend the Yankees’ lead to 6-4. Earlier, he doubled with Volpe on second base; While Volpe’s blunder might have cost the Yankees an extra run, it ultimately didn’t matter as the offense eventually broke through against the Dodgers bullpen.

Los Angeles opted not to use its high-leverage relievers, believing it would certainly win one of its next three games, making a Game 4 loss moot. However, the Yankees faced a must-win scenario. If the Yankees mount a comeback, it will certainly merit its own Netflix documentary, like the Red Sox one now on the streaming platform, and the offensive explosion led by Volpe’s grand slam in Game 4 should be the starting point.

New York @yankees SS @Volpe_Anthony joins our show to talk about his massive grand slam and performance in it #WorldSeries Game 4!@KevinBurkhardt | @AROD | @DavidOrtiz | @DerekJeter pic.twitter.com/m4ud4dmum3

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 30, 2024

“We were down 2-0, but we still said, ‘Hey, this isn’t going to be easy, but this is what we’re made for,’” Jazz Chisholm Jr. said. “Who doesn’t want to make history? I love writing history. I love writing my name in the history books.”

After Game 4, Volpe spent a few moments with Fox’s postgame crew, where David Ortiz, well acquainted with comebacks from 3-0 deficits, presented Volpe with a shirt featuring Big Papi in a Red Sox jersey with the caption: “My Dawg ! Volpe chuckled and insisted he would never wear it because he knew it would be sacrilege to don Boston gear.

But even more meaningful than the shirt were Jeter’s words on set. In the same way he idolized Jeter, countless New York kids now aspire to be like Volpe, dreaming of one day hitting a grand slam in the World Series at Yankee Stadium as a franchise shortstop.

And maybe, if they’re lucky, one day they’ll tell how that grand slam led to baseball immortality.

(Top photo: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)