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.
