David Bednar embracing Yankees chance that came…
New Yankees nearer David Bednar will get the call for some pennant race Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: As a nearer, do you need to think about your self the baddest man on the sector?
A: I believe there’s definitely an aspect of it. It’s the competitors issue. It’s you vs. that hitter, and in any given day, it’s who comes out on top.
Q: Why don’t you worry failure in that position?
A: You can’t. If you worry failure I believe you’re pitching scared. You always have to be on the assault.
Q: What sort of a rush is it in the ninth inning when you’re about to close a recreation?
A: It’s definitely particular, particularly right here in this ballpark with these followers. Ultimately, it’s the fellows have achieved their job throughout their recreation, and you will have an alternative to end it, seal the deal.
Q: Who are other closers you admire?
A: There’s an apparent reply right here (snigger) — the man that’s up there, No. 42. Mariano [Rivera], clearly, about as automated as it will get. … Trevor Hoffman. … I believe back to some of the Pirates closers I grew up watching. I’m gonna go down the listing — Matt Capps, Joel Hanrahan, Jason Grilli, Mark Melancon, all those guys. It’s a actually cool listing, and guys that I always sort of aspired to be like and watch.
David Bednar #53 of the New York Yankees throws a pitch during the ninth inning. The New York Yankees defeat the Boston Red Sox 4-1.
Jason Szenes / New York Post
Q: As a nearer, if you could possibly go back in baseball historical past and check your expertise against any hitter, two outs, backside of the ninth, who would you need to problem?
A: I would like to say Barry Bonds (smile). I don’t know how that would work out for me, but I’d love to (snigger) have that alternative to face him. I don’t suppose it will go so effectively, but I’d go down swinging, though.
Q: What is it like being identified as “The Renegade”?
A: It’s cool. I believe my walkout tune is clearly an ode to the Steelers, , third quarter, big stop tune, and whenever I obtained traded over to the Pirates, they requested me for my walkoff tune and I used to be like, “I don’t actually have one, but I believe this can be fairly cool ’trigger this tune will get me fired up, and it obtained all the yinzers going. I’m a big Steelers fan, so why would I change it (snigger)? Every time I hear it I just suppose of James Harrison sacking Joe Flacco in the playoffs or one thing like that (snigger), so it will get me fired up.
Q: As far as your stuff is anxious, where are you?
A: I’m joyful with it. I believe there’s always room for enchancment. I believe you’re always striving to be better, but I’m in a spot now where one factor that makes me ready to have success is just being on the assault with all three of my pitches, and having the ability to throw them for strikes and for whatever. Any pitch, any rely.
Q: How do you want pitching on the New York stage?
A: It’s great. Just the Stadium as a complete and then also just the vitality that New York itself brings and the followers deliver, it seems like they’re in it with you on every pitch, which is definitely an superior factor,
Q: Describe your mound mentality.
A: I’m competing every single pitch, and 100% convicted in each pitch. It’s just the me-versus-the-hitter kind mindset.
Q: What drives you?
A: I really like competing, I really like being the man on the mound, I like it’s you versus the hitter in those big spots, and popping out big for your teammates and doing it for them.
Q: You had been drafted by the Padres in the thirty fifth spherical in 2016. Did that encourage you? Put a chip on your shoulder, and so on.?
A: Absolutely. That positively fueled my fire, for sure, without a doubt, sort of virtually taking part in with home money. I had no expectations when I obtained drafted. Even after getting drafted, it felt like such a pipe dream to be taking part in in the big leagues and to have that alternative. I believe the largest factor for me was it was sort of the mindset of placing my head down and grinding each day. You look up after a couple of years now, it’s sort of loopy, I never might have imagined where it took me. Just taking it someday at a time and actually just being where your toes are, again, that’s so a lot simpler said than achieved.
Q: How had been you ready to modify from being a starter at Lafayette College?
A: At first, it was positively a little bit of an adjustment in phrases of sort of preparing fast, and work out a routine that works for you. It was more or less just sort of joyful to be there and joyful for the chance to sort of show myself and just get out to any stage and just sort of roll with that.
Q: You saved 18 consecutive video games in 2023.
A: I believe the purpose’s the same each day, is you need to come in and get the job achieved. I believe the largest factor with being a reliever is, you’ll be able to’t get caught up on yesterday good or dangerous ’trigger you will have to show up today with the mindset of, “Today’s a new day, and you can’t let yesterday affect it,” then you’re actually digging your self a gap. It’s just about staying even keel and just making an attempt to take the nice with the dangerous.
Q: During the lows, confidence may be such a fragile factor. How did it have an effect on you?
A: Absolutely, this recreation will humble you actually fast. I’m lucky to have great teammates, great household, my spouse, great assist system. But finally it comes down to your self and understanding that that confidence is within and never forgetting who you’re and why you’re right here in the first place, and through the struggles. That approach you’re ready to sort of shrink those moments and make the nice occasions longer.
Q: What is the largest adversity you had to overcome?
A: I believe the largest factor was getting optioned earlier this 12 months and having overcome that, actually sort of swallow my pleasure regardless of how I believed about it, is how we’re gonna transfer ahead, how this was gonna be the best factor for me in the long run. Obviously, it was irritating, all the feelings that go along with it, but to have the option to get past it and to be where I’m now is to just make it the best factor for me.
Q: How had been you ready to get past it?
A: Keep going, keep grinding. I knew what I used to be succesful of, I knew the pitcher I’m, the type of man I used to be. I knew I used to be gonna get past it, it was just a matter of doing it.
David Bednar #53 of the New York Yankees reacts after the ultimate out of the ninth inning. The New York Yankees defeat the Boston Red Sox 4-1.
Jason Szenes / New York Post
Q: What was it like pitching for Team USA in the 2023 World Baseball Classic?
A: Wearing the USA jersey, placing it across your chest and taking part in for your nation, you positively felt that different vitality throughout all these guys taking part in for their home nation. What an unimaginable honor, and an unimaginable crew.
Q: Your major league dream started when?
A: I believe from the second you start taking part in Tee Ball, it’s sort of just like the aspiration, you start watching ’em on TV, you go to your first big league recreation and just see it, watch it. … it just feels so far-off for so long and then as you get a little bit older. … For me, it still felt like so far-off (snigger). The second you put on the uniform and cleats and you get to play, you strive to emulate those guys, you strive to be like the fellows you watch on TV, going to the sector to watch. I believe it just begins at such a younger age.
Q: Were you always a pitcher?
A: I used to be a catcher in high college as effectively.
Q: Did you get pleasure from it?
A: I did prefer it, and then when I came to sort of decide an avenue, it was pitching ’trigger I couldn’t hit (snigger). It made that choice straightforward.
Q: What sort of coach was your father?
A: It was great. I believe I’ve grown to respect it more and more as the years go on, to have that alternative, to have him be my coach from Tee Ball and then be teaching me in high college and then even still he’s helped me out. It’s such an superior factor trying back now.
Q: What is your favourite reminiscence from either the 2022 or 2023 All-Star Game?
A: I believe just sharing it with my household. It’s actually particular that they had been all ready to make it. It’s just cool strolling around the locker room, seeing all those names and you’re among them. It’s a actually cool honor.
Q: Describe the Yankee Way.
A: Rather a lot of historical past, man, and just a lot of actually gifted gamers in this clubhouse. It’s spectacular. Coming over right here, you count on to win every day and it’s been actually particular and I’m just very lucky to be a half of it.
Q: Have you achieved any research on the custom since you’ve been right here?
A: Just from afar, everyone’s conscious of just the unbelievable custom and legacy that the New York Yankees have … the pinstripes. I bear in mind the first time and we began on the street when I first obtained traded over right here, the first time seeing the pinstripes in my locker and placing ’em on, it’s like, wow, this is admittedly cool.
David Bednar attends Charity Day 2025 Getty Images for Cantor Fitzgerald
Q: The Bleacher Creatures.
A: (Laugh) They positively deliver the vitality for sure, without a doubt.
Q: What are your favourite Pirates?
A: I believe early on it’s Jason Kendall, Jack Wilson. And as I obtained older and older I had a lot of enjoyable watching Cutch [Andrew McCutchen], A.J. Burnett and Gerrit Cole. Those had been those playoff years in Pittsburgh. It was actually cool to have the option to play with Cutch, and now getting to play with Cole is admittedly superior.
Q: What do you bear in mind about Cole?
A: The factor that caught out to me is one of the same causes why I preferred A.J. Burnett is that depth they introduced to the thoughts is one thing I actually preferred, and actually tried to emulate sort of in my own approach, I suppose. It was them versus the hitter.
Q: Favorite Steelers Super Bowl reminiscence?
A: I believe the ’06 Super Bowl [XL] when Jerome Bettis’ last 12 months, that was one of my favorites, we had like pep rallies in college and getting all fired up. I bear in mind going to some household good friend’s home, we sort of alternated internet hosting each recreation in the playoffs. Two years in the past, I obtained to come out of the tunnel and start the Terrible Towel wave (chuckle), that was a actually cool expertise as effectively.
Q: Favorite Penguins reminiscence?
Pirates pitcher David Bednar (51) reacts to getting the ultimate out against the San Francisco Giants during the ninth inning at Oracle Park. D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images
A: I didn’t go to a complete lot of Pens video games as a child, more not too long ago these past couple of offseasons going down with my dad and my brother and just spend some high quality time with them down there’s always great. What a great run they’ve had growing up watching them when they received all those Cups. It’s been a lot of enjoyable.
Q: What have you ever achieved for a substitute for Iron City beer?
A: (Laugh) That’s one thing I’m making an attempt to work out, how to get some of that up right here. Get some other guys on it, ? Drinking the Kool-Aid, if you’ll (smile).
Q: Your teammates most likely have no thought what it’s.
A: No, but I’d be joyful to be the one to introduce ’em to it.
Q: Are you going to set up your own Primanti Bros. stand? Has anybody requested about Primanti Bros.?
A: Actually no, you’re the first one out right here. I believe fries on sandwiches, fries on something are more than welcome. Bring some of that and some Iron City out right here, I believe just a little bit of contact of Pittsburgh out right here’d be stunning (smile).
Robert Sabo for NY Post
Q: By the best way, what do you suppose of Aaron Rodgers with your Steelers now?
A: I’m in on it! (Laugh). How ’bout that! Sorry for the Jets. I obtained a bunch of buddies that are Jets followers out this approach, and … heck yeah (snigger).
Q: What’s fatherhood like?
A: It’s great. It’s so rewarding, and it’s been actually cool just watching him grow. It’s good or dangerous but when you come home, you come home to you’re just dad.
Q: How outdated is he?
A: 10 months.
Q: How proud of you to be a three-time Roberto Clemente Award nominee?
A: Incredibly proud. Baseball gives a platform to do cool issues like that and have the option to give back to the group. At the very least, you put your self being in the stands and offer you flashbacks to what you’d respect as a child. Makes it actually, actually just sort of full circle.
Q: Describe Lending Hearts.
A: It’s an unimaginable group. … Kids and their households dealing with pediatric cancer and going through therapies and remission … whatever it’s, just giving them and their household just a day at the ballpark, they do multitudes of different actions and experiences just to break up their daily routine of therapies and just let ’em be a child. I’ve actually discovered a lot of pleasure in working with them, seeing how a lot enjoyable that they had just to be in the ballpark, and can deliver them and their households.
Yankees pitcher David Bednar (53) throws in the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium, Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Q: Three dinner company?
A: [Roberto] Clemente, [Mario] Lemieux, Jerome Bettis.
Q: Favorite film?
A: “Batman.”
Q: Favorite meal?
A: A big outdated porterhouse and some mashed potatoes and some butter cake for dessert.
Q: Have you discovered a great restaurant right here?
A: I haven’t explored an excessive amount of, but one of my favorites that I’ve been when I visited New York whether or not or not it’s right here or the Mets, went to Don Angie. That was particular, and powerful to beat.
Q: Did you will have the lasagna?
A: Oh, yeah.
Q: Any other New York City issues?
A: When I used to be in school, truly, Lafayette-Lehigh performed in the one hundred and fiftieth assembly of their soccer crew right here, so we came up and then I believe during that journey I went up in the Empire State Building.
Q: So you’re not afraid of heights?
A: Somewhat bit, truly, it was sort of unsettling.
Q: Favorite Lafayette College reminiscence?
A: I actually suppose coming right here was one of ’em. I believe coming right here for that soccer recreation was actually cool. I had a great group of guys, a lot of superior teammates who I’m still close with and they all work and live in the town now so I get to see them a little bit more often.
Q: What are you most proud of?
A: I used to be very blessed to play for the crew I grew up watching and now play for the (chuckle) New York Yankees, it’s unbelievable just to have these alternatives is just so particular.
Q: Your message to Yankees followers about you.
A: I believe what you see is what you get. I’m gonna come out attacking guys and I’m gonna give every part I’ve no matter what. And just going proper after guys,
Q: Winning a World Series.
A: That’s why you play the sport. You need to be a half of a World Series crew. … New York is on a complete ’nother stage, just the storied historical past and the impression it has right here is admittedly particular.
Q: Can this crew win one?
A: Absolutely, there’s no doubt in my thoughts. I believe everyone shares the same aspirations, and I believe we definitely have the expertise to do so and now it’s just taking it someday at a time and doing it.
Q: Personal targets?
A: World Series.
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