“Goofy” Ben Rice’s Surprising Description by Yankees Executive Shows Why He’s Perfect Pinstripe

As Ben Rice continues to astound all the New York Yankees fans, it’s quite interesting to note that he wasn’t initially expected to be such an explosive player. When the Yankees drafted Rice, he was a player who had barely played 30 college games and didn’t seem to have a high ceiling. However, the Bronx Bombers were quick to recognize that something separated Rice from the rest—something related to his attitude.

Despite being a slight misfit on the prospect list (Rice was older than the rest), the rookie had a certain feistiness to him. A trash-talking swagger to prove that he belonged to the highest level. Yes, Network’s Jack Curry revealed as much during his coverage of Ben Rice’s 3-home run game. The analyst shared how the Yankees’ VP for Player Development, Kevin Reese, had a surprising reason for calling Rice a perfect Yankee.

“He actually called Rice ‘goofy’; he said he was kinda ‘gangly looking,’” Curry said about Kevin Reese’s description. “But he’s one of our best athletes, very explosive; he also said he’s a very confident hitter. There are other guys on the team who might think they’re better athletes, but Ben Rice would talk a little trash and say, ‘Watch me do this!’” This confidence in Rice made him a rather popular figure in the system.

While we haven’t yet seen the trash-talking side of Rice, we’ve nonetheless seen how confident he’s on the plate. However, what has made Ben Rice such a breath of fresh air for the Yankees is his aggression. The rookie was seen shouting at the Boston Red Sox players after one of his home runs yesterday. That was evidence of the sheer passion that he holds. 

And it’s something that the Yankees have lacked for a long time. Despite having a highly passionate fanbase, the Bronx Bombers have been called out quite a few times for their lackadaisical play. But where does Rice’s goofy personality come from? It’s partly because of his days as a class clown.

How did Ben Rice go from being a class clown to a New York Yankees rookie?

During an interview with the New York Post’s Steve Serby, Ben Rice revealed an interesting part of his story. The rookie shared that he once wanted to be a stand-up comedian. But while that was a dream that he had during his childhood, he still considers it to be “second to being a baseball or hockey player.” However, because of his love for comedy, Rice developed a class clown persona. “I was probably very disruptive in class, very distracting to my classmates,” Rice said about his school days.

The star has certainly carried that personality into the Yankees clubhouse. When asked about his on-field mentality, Ben Rice explained that he just wants to fight it out. “Compete, compete, compete. Be tough. Give my all every single day on both sides of the ball,” Rice explained. That attitude is certainly what the New York Yankees need right now. The fact that it comes on top of a typical Pinstripes swagger makes Rice a stereotypical Bronx Bomber.

But then one question remains: what will happen once Anthony Rizzo is back? Will the Yankees shift Ben Rice to the senior position, or will they find a different solution for this issue? That is a big question that needs some urgent answering.