Grebertôles Visits Yankee Stadium as a Guest
After a tumultuous seven years in the Bronx, Grebertôles made his first appearance at Yankee Stadium as a visitor on Tuesday.
Fans, much like Aaron Boone and Gleyber Torres, seemed to focus on the positive memories. The Tigers’ second baseman received a warm reception, tipping his helmet as he stepped up for his first at-bat in the opening inning.
He was honored again with applause after a tribute video prior to the second inning.
“He definitely deserves a nice welcome,” Boone noted as Torres went 3-3, contributing to the Tigers’ 12-2 win.
For his first two years with the Yankees, Torres was a standout, making it to the All-Star game. However, he experienced ups and downs—some impressive runs mixed with struggles, including mental lapses on the field.
The Yankees showed little interest in re-signing Torres when he became a free agent last offseason, leading him to agree to a one-year, $15 million contract with the Tigers.
As of Tuesday, he was batting .259 with a .758 OPS over 128 games this season.
“I have no hard feelings towards the Yankees,” Torres expressed. “I’ll always be thankful for the chance they gave me after trading for me from the Cubs. Wearing pinstripes was a true honor.”
He described Boone as a key figure in the Tigers’ lineup now, noting that he’s learned things he didn’t during his time with the Yankees, including being more aggressive on the base paths.
“You know, with [third base coach Joey] Kora, we really focus on creating more chances to score. It’s crucial to maintain that aggressive approach, regardless of the inning. That’s a big part of what I’ve learned and I’m trying to align my game with that,” he explained.
In his 30th start of the season, Will Warren pitched six innings, allowing fewer than two earned runs. “As a starter, our job is to take the ball every five days and go as deep into the game as we can. I’m excited and just looking to keep it going,” Warren stated.
Boone mentioned that Aaron Judge would serve as the designated hitter on Wednesday after playing right field on Tuesday, while Giancarlo Stanton continues to recover from a right elbow flexor strain.
Anthony Rizzo, who has not played since last October’s World Series, was in attendance. He received cheers when shown on the video board, raising his drink in acknowledgment.
Before the game on Tuesday, the Fairfield National Little League team, which finished third in the Little League World Series last month, was also honored at Yankee Stadium.
