From Dartmouth to the Bronx: Ben Rice's unique path as a Yankee
Ben Rice’s first two weeks in the majors were “everything I could have hoped for,’’ and that was before the lefty hitter etched his name into Yankees’ lore.
“That’s pretty cool to know,’’ Rice said after becoming the first rookie in franchise history to hit three home runs in one game last Saturday against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.
On Tuesday night, Rice blasted his fifth homer in his 19th big-league game, a two-run shot off in a 5-3 win by the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, the Yanks’ 16th loss in their last 21 games.
Yet, Rice’s play has been a rare bright spot during a ragged, month-long Yankees’ stretch, and Tuesday’s homer was his first against a big-league lefty pitcher.
As he said after Saturday’s historic game, it’s “very humbling to be a part of an organization with as many legends as we have.’’
A Yankees fan in Red Sox territory
One of those legends, the previous Yankees captain, was Rice’s favorite player growing up in the small town of Cohasset, Mass., a 20-mile drive southeast of Boston.
“I loved Derek Jeter, I loved knowing that they won the most,’’ Rice said of his allegiance to the Yankees over New England’s team, so when he attended Fenway Park with his family, it was usually a Red Sox-Yankees game.
When the Yanks visit later this month, Rice can take a sentimental journey to Fenway’s right field seats.
As a kid, Rice said he wrote something on the Pesky Pole – “I think Yankees rule?’’
“My dad would be able to verify that for me,’’ said Rice, 25, who recalled he wore an old school Yankees dugout jacket to the game.
“I wouldn’t say I had it circled, but I knew it would be pretty cool,’’ Rice said of experiencing his first Yankees-Red Sox game as a player. “Anytime you get to be part of a rivalry like that, it’s pretty special.’’
Heading into the 2021 draft, Rice might have been on the other side of The Rivalry.
“It was either going to be the Red Sox or the Yankees that picked me,’’ said Rice. “Those were the two teams that I knew liked me the most.’’
But Yankees scout Matt Hyde closely followed Rice during his college days, and “I figured I had the best chance with’’ the Yankees, who selected him in the 12th round.
From Dartmouth to Yankee Stadium
That college was Dartmouth, which has produced only a handful of Yankees – including Red Rolfe and Jim Beattie.
Bench coach Brad Ausmus was drafted by the Yankees but played his 18 big-league seasons with four other clubs, after being taken by the Colorado Rockies in the 1992 expansion draft.
Rice knew of Ausmus, since his travel baseball coach, Pete Mrowka, was Ausmus’ agent, and Rice chose Dartmouth after going un-scouted as a player in high school.
“They had some good baseball teams in the past, and I just had some familiarity with it,’’ Rice said of his Ivy League choice. “People from my high school had played sports there, it was close to home and I liked the town, the campus.’’
Rice was just starting to get the Yankees’ attention when COVID-19 struck, canceling his 2020 college season.
In a collaborative effort with some teammates and friends, including Mrowka’s son, Buddy, attending Harvard, Rice helped put together something of a pickup league.
“We all just kind of worked together to find ways to get scouts to come out (and it) definitely was huge for us,’’ said Rice, who completed his Dartmouth degree in psychology during the winter of 2022.
Getting the call to the majors
Rice had never been to Yankee Stadium until he found himself in the Yankees’ lineup against Baltimore on June 18.
That day, the Yankees placed veteran first baseman Anthony Rizzo on the injured list due to a fractured right arm and called up Rice.
“I thought he looked like a guy who could hit up here,’’ manager Aaron Boone said of Rice’s “slow heartbeat’’ and “knowledge of the strike zone’’ since their first look in spring training.
“We’re going through a tough stretch and he’s giving us a good look every day,’’ said Boone. “And we just want to try and keep him in that position where he’s a factor for us like he’s been.’’
Now, Rice is on “the grandest stage there is,’’ said Gerrit Cole. “You can look at it as a bit of a challenge, or a blessing. But there are no lights that are brighter…it takes some getting used to.’’
Ben Rice: Always a catcher at heart
MLB Pipeline had named Rice the Yankees’ hitting prospect of the year in 2023, mostly as a catcher.
“I’m always going to be a catcher at heart,’’ said Rice, working daily before games on his first base defense. “I’m always willing to go back (behind the plate) if they need it, but right now we’re prioritizing first base.’’
Only recently been promoted to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Rice had three homers and a 1.059 OPS in just 11 games (50 plate appearances) at the Class AAA level when he got the call.
By July 4, Rice had replaced the struggling Anthony Volpe in the leadoff spot, and two days later he launched three homers against the Red Sox – resulting in a curtain call before a sellout crowd.
“It definitely crossed my mind I could debut (in the majors) this year,’’ said Rice. “It wasn’t something I was going to hold myself to, but definitely something I dreamed of.’’
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: From Dartmouth to the Bronx: Ben Rice's unique path as a Yankee
