Inside The Pinstripes

Rising Star Rookie Ben Rice Agrees to This Wild Proposal if Yankees Win World Series

Rookie Ben Rice is quickly making a name for himself with the New York Yankees, and now he has agreed to this insane proposal if his team wins the World Series this year.

Pat Ragazzo

Yankees rookie Ben Rice records a single against the Orioles.
Yankees rookie Ben Rice records a single against the Orioles. / AP Photo/Pamela Smith
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This New York Yankees' rookie is making his presence felt lately.

First baseman Ben Rice has been tearing it up for the Bronx Bombers since making his major league debut on June 18.

On Saturday, July 6, he became the first Yankees' rookie to hit three home runs in one game, which came against the hated AL East rival Boston Red Sox.

Rice appeared on Foul Territory on Monday, where he was shown a video of Yankees podcaster Derek Levandowski shaving his head on a live stream over the weekend after promising he would do so if Rice hit three homers in Saturday's game.

"I can't say it's what I expected, but I'm not surprised. I love it. This is the kind of stuff I like to see. Especially from a guy that's walking the talk like that," Rice told Foul Territory on Monday regarding the dedicated Levandowski sticking to his word.

Rice of course was then asked if he would shave his head in solidarity with the fans if the Yankees won the World Series to which the eager rookie replied: "Sure, sure."

With veteran Anthony Rizzo out with a fractured arm, Rice has stepped up as the starting first baseman, and is also performing well out of the leadoff spot after recently replacing second-year shortstop Anthony Volpe in this lineup slot.

With the trade deadline just 22 days away, Rice has pretty much solidified his standing at first base, making GM Brian Cashman less inclined to seek outside help at the position.

Rice has been impressive with a .273/.359/.545 slash line, a .904 OPS, four homers and 12 RBIs in his first 18 big-league games.

The Yankees have lost 15 of their last 20 games, falling to three games back of the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East. But there is still time left for the team to recapture some of the magic they endured prior to mid-June.

In a perfect world, Rice, who has shown a ton of promise so far, will have a bald head when all is said and done in October.

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Pat Ragazzo

PAT RAGAZZO

Pat Ragazzo is the reporter, publisher, site manager and executive editor for the Mets and Yankees websites on Sports Illustrated. Pat was selected as The Top Reporter & Publisher of the Year 2024 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry. He appears on several major TV Network stations including: NBC4, CBS2, FOX5, PIX11, SNY and NY1; and is frequently heard on ESPN New York FM 98.7 FM and WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM as a guest. Pat also serves as the Mets insider for the "Allow Me 2 Be Frank" podcast hosted by Frank "The Tank" Fleming of Barstool Sports. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @ragazzoreport.

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