Yankees Paul Golschmidt opens up on battle with Father Time old Billy Madison ritua

Acce s the Yankees beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees. Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt takes a swing at some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby. Q:. What do you like best about this team? A: We have a group of guys that are very hungry to win. I felt that in spring training after coming up a little short last year, there Shawn Kemp Jersey was a focus and an intensity here that they want to carry on the tradition thats been set here, the 27 world championships, want to be No. 28. I felt that right away. Theres very much a motivation and a hunger to win. Q: Can you imagine what this city would be like if the Yankees won a championship? A: No, no, I cant (smile). So hopefully, well get to see in person. Q: Q: How hungry are you to win a championship? You came close before the 2019 Cardinals were swept in NLCS by the Nationals. A: Yeah, not close enough. Back to as a kid, we wanted to win the Little League championship, or in college a conference championship and all that, and so yeah, it hasnt changed, and its something I havent been able to do, and to just watch on TV and see the joy in so many of the players faces and their families, coaches, and of course the fans and the organization Its my No. 1 motivation, and try to do everything po sible to make it happen. Explore More Q: Whats the best part of being a New York Yankee? A: I think definitely having an opportunity every day to go out and win, honestly win the game, win the World Series, those high expectations that this organization has, that this city has, that the fans have. Theres no meaningle s games, theres no meaningle s at-bats. Its just really fun every day showing up to the ballpark having a singular goal to win todays game and hopefully get a chance in the playoffs to continue that. Q: How would you describe the Yankee Way? A: No. 1 is expectation to win, to win every game, to win every night, to win the World Series at the end of the year, and I think with that being forefront, it trickles down to how you prepare, how you play the game, the type of competitors that you need about not taking pitches off, not taking games off because theyre all so important. You know the tradition here, you know the past champions, the past players. I think everyone wants to kinda carry that on. You want to be the team that wins another championship, brings another one here and plays at that really high level. Paul Goldschmidt of the Yankees hits an RBI single during the eighth inning against the Mets on Sunday, May 18, 2025 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, Robert Sabo for NY Post Q: Is there an aura around the Yankees? A: I can say this cause I played against them for a long time: I think there is. Theyre not the only team out there that has it, this isnt the only stadium, but theres definitely some teams that have a history, a tradition, maybe you watched em on TV, maybe its the players they currently have or had in the past some of the older stadiums have it, too. Theres definitely something when you come to play the Yankees or a handful of other teams, organizations, that is a little different. Q: What is the biggest obstacle or adversity youve had to overcome? A: Probably just failures. Theres just times where this game just beats you down and you feel like, I dont know if I can make it whether its in the minor leagues or you get to the big leagues and youre struggling. Why does it feel like I cant hit right now? But I think just dealing with those, those also make you stronger. I can think back on every failure Ive had almost, or especially the big ones, and its been a learning experience. You dont love going through it at the time, but you can look back and say, Hey, that helped me deal with this next year. Or, This helped me years down this road or the next time I struggled. Q: What was the most temporarily demoralizing failure? A: The two worst ones I had in the big leagues, I started off the season, 2018, just really, really bad. I was hitting like under .200 the first couple of months. I feel like I knew what adjustment to make to kind of help, but had the worst month of my career in May and then had the best month of my career in June, so you never know whats gonna happen. I think last year, too, with St. Louis, the first half for sure and up until really the last five or six weeks just never was consistent, which was hard because thats what I was trying to do. Same thing, kind of feeling like Ive been working hard for so long and youre not really seeing the payoff. But then one day I was able to start playing well. Again, hated going through it at the time, but learned a lot and definitely helped me throughout the rest of my career. Q: Your Major League dream began when? A: I can remember going to my first Little League practice at about 5 years old and getting in my moms minivan and saying, Mom, I love baseball. Thats when I kind of say its crazy that I still get to play now at 37. This is beyond my wildest dreams, but also have that responsibility because I enjoy it so much to go out there and give everything I have. Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (48) puts a tag onTampa Bay Rays outfielder Jos Caballero (77). Robert Sabo for NY Post Q: Describe your on-field mentality. A: No. 1, focused. I take the game very serious. I love the game, I love to have fun, but I dont want to look back and say, I had fun and my performance slipped, or I had fun and I didnt make that play. Q: What drives you? A: In a negative way, you say you dont want to let your teammates down. In a positive way, you want to do your job. You want to be that guy that your teammates can count on and you want to be out there playing and performing, and I know the rest of the guys want to do the same way. Q: You used to recite quotes to yourself from Billy Madison in the dugout for 20 minutes. A: Yeah, that maybe happened a few times. It was just something I read that when youre in a good mood, there was some study where you see the ball, your eyes work better, so then I was just kind of like, well, thats obviously important for hitting, so I was just kind of joking around for a few days or week or whatever whenever make myself laugh. But yeah, Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison comedies are definitely my favorite movies, so maybe Ill have to try that again (smile). Q: Whats your definition of a profe sional? A: Probably someone who just shows up every day, does their job, just works really hard and tries to do their job to the best of their ability. Q: That sounds like you. A: Thats what I try to do. Obviously, this games really hard, and theres a lot of ups and downs, but yeah, I try to put basically all of my stock into everything that I can control, try to be very consistent, show up every day, prepare to be ready and then go out there and play as hard as I can. And then, even if you do that every day, the results can be up and down, but its a lot easier to live with, and that way not looking back having regrets, like, Ah, I wish I wouldve done this or that. Just continue to try to do that every day, and figure it gives me the best chance to succeed. Q: A Tony La Ru sa quote about you: For a while now, profe sional players have been distracted by fame and fortune. When you see a guy that has just exemplary drive, it stands out. Goldy, he cant be better than he is. A: Obviously, its high praise from one of the great baseball people of all time. I learned a lot from Tony when he was in charge over there in Arizona, even the last few years hed be around a little bit in St. Louis. For me, it probably started at an early age from my parents, my dad [David] specifically. Theres a certain way that he expected me and my brothers to act and to play baseball and to do everything in life, and I think theres always that voice in the back of my head, my dads voice. Whether I was 10 or 12 years old, or now 37 playing in front of tens of thousands of people, that hasnt changed, and do everything in my power not to let that change. Q: You were an eighth-round pick in 2009. A: Its all relative. To some people, eighth round may seem not very good, but theres a lot of people that would have loved to have been drafted in the eighth round, or even getting an opportunity to play at Texas State. That was Collin Sexton Jersey