No matter what’s going on, Yankees closer Clay Holmes has the type of demeanor that makes every day look like a good one. Cool and friendly, the Alabama native has a cheerful disposition on the field and around the clubhouse, which made him a perfect guest for the New York Yankees Official Podcast. But when he sat down with Yankees Magazine deputy editor Jon Schwartz on May 21, the afternoon after his first blown save of 2024 — indeed, the first earned runs he had allowed all year, coming in the season’s 49th game — the pitcher showed the side that has helped him thrive in the most high-pressured role in baseball. In a frank conversation, Holmes discussed the way that he flushes away adversity, the belief that is a prerequisite for pitching in the ninth inning, and the evolution of his arsenal. Then, for our second segment, Yankees Magazine editor in chief Alfred Santasiere III joins Schwartz to talk about the May cover story that he wrote on Anthony Rizzo, focusing on the first baseman’s outreach to a community he knows all too well. Finally, stick around for the fifth chapter of “History Books,” in which senior museum curator Brian Richards offers a poignant anecdote about Tom Burr, the only New York Yankees player to die in military service.

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