Anthony Volpe gets blessing of 1 beloved ex-Yankee to wear his jersey number
Mar 12, 2023; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (77) homers against the Boston Red Sox in the fifth inning during spring training at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
All the New York Yankees, both current and former, appear to be in Anthony Volpe’s corner.
Jack Curry of YES Network reported this week that the Yankees shortstop phenom Volpe will be wearing No. 11 with the team. Curry adds that Volpe got the blessing and full approval of longtime ex-Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner, who wore No. 11 throughout his career in pinstripes.
Before Anthony Volpe agreed to wear #11 with the Yankees, he called Brett Gardner, who last wore 11, and asked for Gardner's blessing. According to Joe Bick, Gardner's agent, Gardner gave Volpe his full approval and wished him all the best with 11. Classy on both ends. #Volpe
— JackCurryYES (@JackCurryYES) March 29, 2023
Gardner, 39, was a beloved player during his Yankees tenure from 2008-21. He was a member of the 2009 World Series squad and went on to make an All-Star team in 2015 before winning a Gold Glove Award in 2016. Gardner never played for a team other than the Yankees (despite some overtures from rivals) and has been unsigned since the end of the 2021 season.
As for the 21-year-old Volpe, he largely came out of nowhere to win the Yankees’ starting shortstop job, thanks in huge part to a blazing spring. Volpe was wearing No. 77 in the Grapefruit League but will now take over Gardner’s familiar No. 11 (Gary Sheffield, Chuck Knoblauch, and Dwight Gooden are among the Yankees who have also worn No. 11 in the past).
