Yankees: Phillies Rookie and Diehard NYY Fan’s First AB at Stadium is Joyful

Phillies non-roster invitee Logan O’Hoppe had a hell of a time playing the Yankees on Monday.

Imagine you’re a 20-year-old lifelong Yankees fan, lucky enough to be working in professional baseball, but so far toiling at the lower levels of the Philadelphia Phillies farm system while chasing your dream.

You’re far from the big club, but still, it’s a glimmer in your eye. You can see it if you squint.

Then, a global pandemic hits, potentially ruining your chances of participating in the game at all, for a year or more. Nothing feels safe anymore. How will you make up for all that lost time? And going home to West Islip isn’t really an option, either.

If you’d told minor-league catcher Logan O’Hoppe what he’d be doing in July back in March, we don’t think he would’ve believed you. But there O’Hoppe was, getting a late at-bat as a non-roster invitee at Monday night’s Yankees-Phillies exhibition, and he acted exactly as you’d expect a lifelong Yankees fan getting an AB on the big stage to behave. The smiles just spilled out.

Yeah, you’re not with the Williamsport Crosscutters anymore, kid.

In case you need to see O’Hoppe’s bonafides, he’s a clear and obvious Yankees diehard, with the video resumé to back it up.

Yes, that’s O’Hoppe deep in the left field seats two years ago, catching a Manny Machado moonshot off CC Sabathia, and hucking it RIGHT back where it came from.

Yeah, you simply GOTTA throw it back.

The Phillies and Yankees may have tied Monday night’s game 2-2 thanks to Mike Ford, but come on. It was an unconventional game. Aaron Judge homered during an inning in which three outs had already been recorded. You can forgive O’Hoppe for letting loose a little, even as the most brazen Phillies traditionalist.

I mean, who would’ve expected this scene four months ago? Three weeks ago? Certainly not the kid living his dream well ahead of schedule.