Bollinger reflects on 1-day call up to Yankees

TRENTON » Ryan Bollinger gave himself a moment to take in the scene.

Donning a No. 61 grey Yankees jersey, he was a major leaguer.

“If you get the chance, take it all in,” Bollinger said outside the Thunder’s Arm & Hammer Park clubhouse on Tuesday night. “Soak it up because you only get one first day in the big leagues. I just tried to take advantage and soak up everything I could and talk to some of the guys.”

Bollinger earned a surprise call up when the Yankees, in need of an arm for the finale of a three-game set at the Rangers, selected Bollinger’s contract from Double-A.

Thunder manager Jay Bell brought him into his office following a doubleheader at Akron last Tuesday to deliver the news.

“I didn’t really know how to react,” Bollinger said. “I didn’t really believe him at first. I fought back some tears and if was kind of a sigh of relief. I know to get back there will be just as tough as it was the first time.”

Bollinger didn’t get in the game — a 12-10 victory last Wednesday — and he was optioned back to the Thunder the next day, but that didn’t put a damper on a whirlwind 24 hours.

“The initial run out of the tunnel onto the field and you kind of take a look around and go ‘wow, this is a little bit bigger than where we were just at,’” Bollinger said. “It was amazing. I can’t say enough about the organization about giving me the opportunity to experience that and I’ll do whatever I can to get back there.”

That the 27-year-old lefthander got a call up at all is a story in and of itself considering he was literally an ocean away last year.

Bollinger signed a minor league deal with the Yankees after they noticed him pitching in Germany and Australia last year. He was 3-0 with an 0.90 ERA and 0.75 WHIP in 20 innings for the Thunder at the time of his call up.

“I never would have put that in the same sentence to be honest,” Bollinger said. “I was enjoying playing, I was having fun, and I never thought playing over there would give me the opportunity to make it to the big leagues even if it was for a day.”