There’s something about Anthony Volpe that makes you want to believe. Maybe it’s the Manhattan roots. Maybe it’s the way he plays – head down, runs hard, says the right things. Maybe it’s just the idea of it: the local kid who grew up a Yankees fan, met Derek Jeter, called the next Derek Jeter, becomes their starting shortstop, and leads them back to the promised land.<\/p>
But then a moment comes, like Sunday night. Tie game, bottom of the seventh, bases loaded. And Anthony Volpe… strikes out. Another rally fizzles. Another chance slips through. And just like that, you’re back to wondering: is this actually the year he puts it all together? Or is this just the same conversation we’ve been having for three seasons? Volpe had a 3-0 count with the bases loaded. He took a strike. Then he chased ball four, then ball five, and ball six. The at-bat unraveled, and so did the inning.<\/p>