The latest flamethrower right-handed pitcher for the New York Yankees used to deliver in a much different environment: lessons in the classroom.
Stephen Ridings made his major league debut Aug. 3 against the Baltimore Orioles, when he hit triple digits on the radar gun and struck out three batters. Just months earlier, he was working as a substitute teacher at the Palm Beach Maritime Academy in Lantana, Fla.
“Yeah, I mean I’d go to work, proctor for the day,” Ridings told MLB.com. “Then I’d show up to the gym, dressed up in my polo and khakis. I’d change in the bathroom quick, go throw, get a workout in and be done before they closed.”
Ridings had been in the minors with the Kansas City Royals in 2019, but he was forced to take the substitute teaching job when the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the 2020 season. Ridings told MLB.com that he substituted at the school from October 2020 through early March 2021, where he took attendance, distributed lesson plans and made sure the students were well-behaved.
