'Awesome' big-league experience for LI's Greg Weissert as Yankees send him back to Triple-A
Greg Weissert pitches during the ninth inning of the Yankees' 14-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sept. 21, 2022. Credit: AP/Frank Franklin II
It took Bay Shore’s Greg Weissert seven years to make it to the big leagues. Even though his first outing was an out-of-character disaster, the righthander ended up making quite an impression with the Yankees, winning three games and becoming a key member of the bullpen in the heat of a pennant race.
Weissert also got a front-row seat — or at least a bullpen-view seat — as Aaron Judge chased home run history.
But Weissert’s first taste of big-league life came to an end late Wednesday night when he was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Yankees needed to make room for reliever Scott Effross, who was activated off the injured list on Thursday.
Still, Weissert had the time of his life, with his family able to attend games in Oakland and at Tampa Bay and to be in the stands at Yankee Stadium for most of the 27-year-old’s appearances.
“They’ve been to basically all of them,” Weissert told Newsday after the Yankees beat the Pirates, 14-2, on Wednesday, but before he was officially informed that he was heading back to the minors. “It’s been awesome. I’ve had a lot of cool experiences, a lot of tight games, thrown right into the mix, which I’m honestly really grateful for. I think it’s going to be big for me going forward kind of getting all that stuff out of the way, my first month or so in the big leagues. It’s been great.”
Weissert, an 18th-round pick of the Yankees in the 2016 draft from Fordham, was called up on Aug. 25.
He made his debut in Oakland that night and walked two batters and hit two others while recording only one out. He had a big-league ERA, but it was 81.00.
Still, the Yankees obviously saw something in Weissert because they threw him right back into the fire three days later. Weissert threw two scoreless innings and then two more in Anaheim, when he picked up his first win.
He made his Yankee Stadium debut on Sept. 5 and again was the winning pitcher. A third win came two days later.
The three wins in his first six appearances are the third most in MLB history for a reliever behind Tanner Roark (four in 2013) and Robbie Ross (four in 2012).
That’s in the entire history of baseball.
Speaking of history, Weissert got to watch Judge take aim at Roger Maris’ American League and Yankees record of 61 home runs. Judge hit No. 60 in the ninth inning on Tuesday. Weissert was warming up when Giancarlo Stanton ended that game with a grand slam.
“When he hit 60, we were in the bullpen jumping up and down,” Weissert said. “Of course, I’m getting ready to do my job, but at the same time you have to step back and be able to experience that stuff, too, you know? It’s been amazing.”
Overall, in 11 appearances, Weissert had a 6.10 ERA and struck out 10 in 10 1/3 innings. He pitched a scoreless ninth in the Yankees' victory on Wednesday.
The experience from his first outing to his recent ones was, he said, “Like a complete 180. That game definitely sped up on me and I couldn’t feel my legs. All this time, seven years in the minors, everything kind of just built up. Being able to step back and be like, ‘Why did that happen?’ I’ve never been like that before. Of course, it’s a big moment in my career and life. I know that it wasn’t my stuff or anything like that. I was just super nervous.”
Weissert knew he was a candidate to get sent down with Effross coming back.
“You just never know in this game,” he said. “If it is, it is. I’m on the chopping block, maybe, but you can’t think like that. You’ve got take it day by day.”
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
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