Anthony Volpe: Aaron Judge sets the standard as Yankees Captain

Intro we got some really really good players and um I think we showed it um and we're going to work to keep showing it and keep proving that um that we're a team capable of doing special things because that's our goal that's why we're here that's why we played for the New York Yankees so um it's really exciting certainly the Yanks are uh playing a lot better as of late uh certainly since the the trade deadline and the trade for jazz chisel Jr I just want to chat about that first because you know obviously there are some Whats it been like to have Judge as a teammate implications there with the batting order with the infield as well um first I guess big picture what's it been like to have Jazz as a teammate yeah hey Ralphie thanks for having me um yeah I mean it's been a I guess kind of a whirlwind last week but like you said I think everyone took it and shed and I think Jazz just injected so much energy into the clubhouse and um just as personality um I mean we kind of saw it I guess playing against them for when we were able to and just from I guess watching lb Network and seeing all the stuff he's able to do but I think having him in the clubhouse and having him as a teammate um definitely uh pumped everybody up and I I think it translated to the field just um what he was able to bring behind the scenes and then everyone got to see this past week we've seen him at third I would imagine at some point we'll see him maybe at second base and so then that will you know impact kind of you even more in the infield have you started working with him yet at second base with you a short Working with Judge at second base stop or or have there at least been some conversations about that um not necessarily second base so far but I mean he says he's never played third base but um he made some incredible plays over the weekend and um just having the communication there I mean trying to hold that the left side um together um he's super athletic super rangy and um I think if if uh he keeps playing there I mean we're all joking I mean I think he could be one of the best third basemen in in the lb just with the tools he has and I think the way he's been able to pick it up without literally ever playing it and just doing it um in BP and batting practice so I think if that's where is going to be I mean glaver is really good at second two so I think we could have a really good defensive infield uh let's talk about you on the offensive side of things your last 10 games 295 two homers nine ribbies uh seem to maybe be turning things around here at least at this Making adjustments at the plate point of the season for you um have you made any adjustments at the plate or as far as your your perspective your mindset uh heading into your appats yeah I think um it's a long season and there's definitely for me I feel like it's only my second year but I definitely experienced the ups and downs and I think through everything do the good the bad the ugly um I'm very fortunate to have felt like I've learned a lot through those I think it's just taken when you're not playing as well as you expect to and you want to and um taking those and learning from them and I feel like when I come out of the other side um you gain tools you gain tools to your tool shed so hopefully they don't happen again but I definitely feel like now I I made some adjustments I needed to and um it's helped me I feel like put myself in better positions and when I do that I feel like I could impact the baseball and help the team how if it all does your changing in the batting order Changing batting order affect your per performance or maybe even your mindset heading into each um plate appearance yeah I don't know necessarily if it really affects anything I think we have a really good team a lot of really good hitters and I think when we're at when we're at our best um we're just trusting the guys around us and I think everyone doing their job and just passing all over the time that doesn't necessarily change um where you're hitting in the order just because like I said I think we have so many d hitters when we're locked in and when we're doing our thing so um for me my focus is regardless where where I am um I just want to do do do my part and like I said pass along to the next guy because I think the best part when we're rolling is we just have complete trust and whoever's before after or anything in our lineup we know we could uh all help out um want to talk for a second about the manager Aaron Boone you know certainly in the media and as fans you know we see one side of them pre and post game you know with the press conferences but I would imagine or maybe not I don't know I would imagine there's a different side or another side of them that you see uh as a player in the clubhouse you know especially as you're going through the ups and the Downs of the Season like you mentioned I mean is he as even keeled with you guys as he is Manager Aaron Boone with the media or is there another side that maybe you know we don't see yeah I think obviously we've we had a really tough stretch and I think it wore on a lot of people and just because I think that our standards and our expectations for ourselves are so high we expect a lot of that um out of everyone p on a personal level but I think like you said having someone there that um is super even killed and um has confidence in us I think that's the biggest thing and I think as players you feel that and um it helps you go out there every day and regardless of what happened the day before or two days before anything that's potentially going to happen in the future having someone there that feel you feel like has a lot of confidence in you and you could just go out there and play the game you know you know how to play so um I think that's the best part of like you said when you're going through the ups and the Downs of the Season having someone there for you like that um for me personally I I don't know I think a lot of people would say that but um I think that's a big take a week from me well you know in a similar vein like I after I believe it was after the the Boston series was completed and you know judge was speaking with the media and he was kind of saying something somewhat similar that you know the while the media may have one perspective on how the team's doing and the fans may be reacting inside that Clubhouse it's the same team game in and game out so is that something that Aaron is kind of specifically setting and you guys are the beneficiaries of like is there anything specifically that he's doing in the clubhouse for that yeah I think that's um at least for the players I mean he's our leader he's he's our captain so he sets a tone for everything um yeah I mean he just has such a I think the person and obviously player he is but I think more importantly the person he is everyone looks up to and look looks toward so when you have someone like that that um is probably one of well one of the hardest workers in the whole club house and then goes about every single thing whether it's um like I said his work or how he interacts with the the fan base or how he interacts with the club he's in the clubhouse I think he does everything so perfectly and it's it's a perfect person for I think obviously me and the rest of the young players but I think everyone in the clubhouse look up too and see how he does things because it's just so consistent with the person he is and I think that's what translates to the player he is so um to have that in the clubhouse and it makes everyone's everyone's job's easy because you know what to do and you know what to strive for so um as a team I think it also translates that because regardless of Win Lose or anything um we feel like we have a standard we have to play up to and when we do that we don't really lose too many games at USA Today we recently caught up with Mariano Rivera and you mentioned the high expectations Mariano told us that there's no reason why this team shouldn't make the World Series uh Mariano Rivera when you hear that from obviously a unanimous Hall of Famer the best closer Ever a Yankee icon that you and I both grew up watching uh what do you think yeah I mean that's that's our goal we feel like we got the guys in the clubhouse we we look around I mean we have so many incredible players um we're working every day we're staying in the moment and we're trying to play every game like it's our last but obviously um that's our goal and I think we have the utmost confidence and when you look into our clubhouse you look to the left and the right um we got some really really good players and um I think we showed it um and we're going to work to keep showing it and keep proving that um that we're a team capable of doing special things because that's our goal that's why we're here that's why we put for New York Yankees so um it's really exciting all right before I let you go obviously you're joining us on behalf of recover 180 uh tell us a little bit about this product and why you decided Recover 180 to partner up with this brand as well yeah here we go got it right here um no I think I mean like you said it's such a such a long season we have such um a a lot of Demands on our body and um you want to be able to recover and give your best every day so I think for me it was just such an organic partnership and um I'm very definitely very cogent of what I put in my body to like I said go out there and my goal is to play 162 and be there for the teams so to have something so organic and um tastes really good and um has so many electrolytes I mean I think it's so important for me so um it was a it was a win-win perfect match when when they came to me and um yeah I'm really excited for the future um because like I said I think it's it's a it balances everything out for me and and and it tastes really good hey sports fans if you want to see more conversations with athletes and stars check 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