Old-Timers’ Day at Yankee Stadium brought the family ties front and center Saturday, with David Weathers and Clay Bellinger both watching their sons navigate the Yankees spotlight in very different ways.
For David Weathers, the day carried an especially personal twist. Thirty years after he won a World Series with the 1996 Yankees, the former reliever is still, in a sense, back on the mound in pinstripes through his son Ryan.
“Every pitch he makes, I’m making with him,’’ said Weathers, nodding at his son Ryan.
Ryan Weathers spent the day meeting a long list of his father’s championship teammates for the first time, including Paul O’Neill, Bernie Williams, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada.
“They’re kind of what made the Yankees the Yankees,’’ said Ryan Weathers, the Yanks’ lefty who gets a now-and-then reminder from his dad about a certain family heirloom.
David Weathers is the only citizen of Loretto, Tenn., with a key to the city of New York.
He also made sure his son got the same blunt message he heard when he came over from the Miami Marlins in winter: New York “is the best place to play’’ and “the toughest place to play.’’
David Weathers remembered his own trade deadline move from the Marlins to the Yankees in ’96 and said he planned to be himself - advice he later passed along to Ryan.
The on-field start to that New York chapter was rough.
But on the mound, “I was terrible. They probably should’ve released me, but they kept me,’’ said David Weathers, who turned it around with a memorable postseason.
He sees that pressure as part of the deal in this city.
“That’s what this city’s all about…what you do in October,’’ said David Weathers. “This (2026) team has an excellent shot to get there and I’m excited for that.
“Having that weight put on you is a good thing.’’
Clay Bellinger had his own father-son moment on the day, saying he was “super excited’’ when his son came back as a free agent.
“If you…go out there and win a world championship, add to this legacy, there’s no better place in the world to play baseball,’’ he told his son, Cody, who signed a five-year, $162.5 million deal.
Cody Bellinger, who has been dealing with a left hamstring strain, has spent the last two weeks on the injured list and said he feels “like I’m on the right track’’ toward returning to the Yankees lineup sooner rather than later.
There was also a reunion with Bucky Dent, who has been working as a Yankees guest instructor and has watched George Lombard Jr. make quick progress since 2025 spring training.
“He has all the ability. Great hands, a good arm. He looks like he’s going to be a really good player,’’ said Dent, author of that famous 1978 one-game playoff homer in Boston.
Dent also spent time with Anthony Volpe in camp, helping him work on defensive consistency.
He had not yet spoken with Volpe after Tuesday’s demotion to Triple-A, where he’s expected to begin playing second base as well.
“You’ve just got to step back and let him digest everything. He needs to work on the things he needs to do to get back,’’ said Dent, rooting for the best for Volpe.
“He’s a good kid. I really like him a lot.’’
Mariano Rivera’s return gave the afternoon one of its biggest moments. A year after he was injured on Old-Timers’ Day, the Yankees’ all-time saves leader was back out there Saturday.
“We’re keeping an eye on him. He gets a little crazy,’’ said Jorge Posada, who saw Rivera tear an Achilles in the 2025 Old-Timer’s Day game.
Rivera, 56, stumbled while trying to make a catch in center field last year, but this time he looked far more comfortable. He fired pitches in the first inning and later flied out to center in his lone at-bat.
“Injuries are going to happen. I’m okay with that. Just being on the field is great,’’ said Rivera, adding that his rehab was difficult.
“I still have to do therapy,’’ said Rivera. “But I’m good enough to be here.’’
Posada also offered a glimpse of how much the game has changed, saying the catching style he now sees is nothing like the one he grew up with.
“I saw it with Team Italy, the way those guys set up,’’ said Posada, who served as an assistant hitting coach in the World Baseball Classic.
“We used to receive the ball, now they’re stabling at the ball…it’s another game. It’s completely opposite of what I was taught.’’
In Other News...
Orioles Fans Wont Like Where Gunnar Henderson Speculation Is Going
The Yankees decision to promote George Lombard Jr. to shortstop has already added another layer to an infield picture that has been shifting for months. For now, Lombard is getting a look at a premium position, but the broader conversation around the organization is less about todays alignment than what the next big move could mean. With Anthony Volpe and Ryan McMahon also in the mix, New York has enough moving parts that one future addition could ripple through the entire infield.
One name hanging over that discussion is Gunnar Henderson, whose long-term fit in Baltimore has become a topic of speculation from outlets such as FanSided and ESPN. If Henderson eventually becomes available, the Yankees would clearly have reason to pay attention, and Lombards path could change quickly depending on how the roster develops. For now, it is only a hypothetical, but it is the kind of hypothetical that tends to keep an eye on the Bronx and the division race alike. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Fans Will Hate Seeing Tommy John Facing This Unclear Fight
Tommy John has long held a unique place in Yankees history, but the latest update around the former pitcher carries a much heavier tone. The team shared a farewell letter from John as he deals with health issues, a public gesture that underscored how closely the Yankees continue to watch over one of the most recognizable names tied to the franchise and to the surgery that bears his name. John has already faced a difficult medical road, with a history of bladder cancer, coronavirus and blood clots.
What makes the moment especially uneasy is how little has been made public about where things stand now. The Yankees announced his condition, but did not spell out the specifics, leaving only the sense that a familiar baseball figure is confronting an unclear fight. For a player whose name has echoed through the sport for decades, this is a reminder that the stories around him can still turn far more personal than anything that happened on a mound. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Bullpen Problem Now Points To A Risky Internal Answer
The Yankees left the trade deadline without adding a reliever, which has pushed the bullpen conversation back inside the organization. Joel Sherman said the club may have to sort through internal possibilities, with names like Clarke Schmidt, Will Warren and Ryan Weathers in the mix as the team looks for some way to stabilize the late innings without outside help.
One of the more intriguing options is Luis Gil, though the idea comes with real uncertainty. The 2024 AL Rookie of the Year has had his share of performance and health issues, and the club still has to decide whether his stuff would play better in shorter bursts or whether moving him would just create a different problem somewhere else on the pitching staff. [Read more 🡒]