Ten years later, but somehow, even sweeter.
Manny Bañuelos was supposed to be in pinstripes back in 2012, when he was a hyped prospect and a pillar of the hyped “Killer B’s” trio that included Dellin Betances and Andrew Brackman, before injuries and Tommy John surgery derailed his once promising Yankee career, and he was eventually traded.
But on Friday night, Bañuelos was jogging out of the bullpen gate in pinstripes, coming in to pitch in a blowout in what Gerrit Cole called the “coolest” moment of the night.
It would be hard for Bañuelos to argue with that.
“This is amazing,” Bañuelos said after tossing two scoreless innings. “This is huge for me. I’ve been waiting for this a long time. These past days, getting ready every game and every moment…pitching in Yankee Stadium in this uniform, it’s amazing.
“I think everybody knows about me and what happened 10-12 years ago. It’s been a long journey, and to be able to make this goal, it’s amazing.”
For Bañuelos, now 31, it was just his 24th big-league appearance, having made six starts with the Braves in 2015 before tossing 50.2 innings with the White Sox back in 2019. But the Yanks brought him back in March, and on Friday, he was on a mound that many thought would be his home for years as a young star.
Better late than never, and now, Bañuelos has his own keepsake from an unforgettable night.
“I have the baseball, the first pitch, and I’m gonna keep it,” Bañuelos said. “I have a couple baseballs from a long time ago that I asked Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera that I asked them to sign in 2012…it’s gonna go between those baseballs.
“It’s amazing. My dream come true, especially this year, it’s huge. Everybody knows how great this team is. To be part of it, it’s huge.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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