The Red Sox-Yankees series is finished, and the dust has settled on the on-field action. But off-field… Insider details are just beginning to unfold. Well, Red Sox rookie, Hunter Dobbins, ignited a storm with his bold allegation against the Yankees, an accusation that initially felt like just another spark in baseball’s fiercest rivalry. But now, we have a fresh turn of events.
Remember when Dobbins said that “if the Yankees were the last team to give me a contract, I’d retire.” He also shared a few reasons about his father, Lance Dobbins, to justify his statement. “He was actually drafted twice by the Yankees. Signed with them his last year, and then he got traded over to the Diamondbacks.” This is what Dobbins shared on the eve of the series decider.
Dobbins even claimed that “Andy Pettitte and my dad were really good friends.” But while Pettitte went on to play 18 seasons with the Yankees, we haven’t found any for Hunter Dobbins’ dad! As per MLB insider Joel Sherman, Dobbins’ father, Lance, does not appear in any record of Yankees draft picks across any season. In fact, searching the team’s historical draft selections, there was no mention of him. Sherman also quoted the Yankees’ general manager, Brian Cashman, who has been with the organization since 1986.
As per Cashman, there are no details of Lance Dobbins being drafted by the Yankees. The Bronx’s amateur scouting department also confirmed that the team never selected a player by that name.
So, while the claims by Dobbins got entirely debunked, what could be the reasons behind such declarations? Just to hype up the rivalry? Well, if not anything else, it surely has hyped up the stands during the series decider. However, debunking the claim might just now make Dobbins swallow his bitter pill. Let’s wait for the response to come from the man himself.
But setting everything apart, Dobbins surely had the last laugh on the field against the Yankees.
The Red Sox emerged with an 11–7 victory, securing the series win in the process. While it was Dobbins’ first career appearance against the Yankees, his performance was far from flawless. The rookie right-hander surrendered two multi-run homers to Aaron Judge, leaving his stat line a bit shaky.
The Yankees captain responded in style
Well, the reaction from the Bronx during Dobbins’ pregame introduction was surprisingly subdued. Perhaps a sign that his controversial comments hadn’t yet made their way through the fanbase. But Aaron Judge was well aware, and he responded in the way he knows best.
True to his form, Judge let his bat do the talking. He launched Dobbins’ sixth pitch of the game over the Yankees’ bullpen for a two-run homer, then punctuated the night with another two-run blast in the ninth.
Dobbins’ 97 mph fastball pitch was crushed by Aaron Judge that traveled 436 feet to right-center for a two-run homer. The ball left Judge’s bat at 108.6 mph. By then, Dobbins’ pregame comments had already made national headlines, and the tension in the Bronx was palpable. While the Yankees’ stands went into frenzy seeing Judge’s response to the Red Sox’s rookie, it would have been a full circle moment had the Yankees won the game.
However, as the on-field antics are, as of now, done between the Yankees and Red Sox, it would be interesting to see how debunking Dobbins’ claims gets responded to. This might open a new front in their historical rivalry. As Jazz Chisholm Jr. said, it did add “a lot of spiciness.” Quiet so… Isn’t it?
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