Thanks to dad's influence, Graceffo is looking forward to a homecoming in August

It will be an emotional three days for Cardinals reliever Gordon Graceffo and his father, Gerald, when St. Louis plays the Yankees at Yankee Stadium in early August.

Gordon, 26, will likely be in high-leverage situations in the Bronx, but there will be some irony once he steps on the mound. Like Gerald, Gordon grew up a huge Yankees fan. Gerald, a season-ticket holder for years until Gordon went to Villanova University, would often take his first born to the Bronx to see legends such as Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.

Gordon was like any other kid, looking for autographs, watching pitchers throw in the bullpen and watching the Yankees take batting practice. Gordon, who was 3 when he went to his first Yankees game, is old enough to remember watching the Yankees win their most recent World Series title in 2009.

“It will be a little more emotional because we spent a lot of time in that building whether it was the old stadium or the new stadium,” Gerald said. “So having him walk on the mound will be pretty emotional for all of us.”

Gordon, a native of Cranford, N.J., remembers those days in the Bronx like it was yesterday.

“We had Saturday tickets for every game at home until I went to college,” Gordon remembers. “Those days were awesome. We would just go to the ballpark. We would get there early around BP time.”

While going to Yankee Stadium as a kid was phenomenal for the younger Graceffo, having his dad’s love and support spoke volumes. To this day, Gerald texts his son before every game and that includes the Cardinals games he attends.

“My father means everything,” Gordon said. “He has been behind me since Day 1, obviously. He has given me support and encouragement over the years. He has been unbelievable. … In Little League, high school, in college and today, he has been a huge supporting factor in my life.”

That support includes the time Gordon was a wrestler for the Cranford High School team. Guess who was one of the assistant coaches on the squad? Yes, Gerald. Gordon didn’t love wrestling, but being coached by his dad meant they would spend a lot of time together.

“It was a lot of fun coaching Gordon, and it was a good experience for me, too,” Gerald said.

Gordon claims he wasn’t a good wrestler, although Gerald begs to differ.

“He was a little bit above average,” Gerald insists. “Was he at the top of his class? Probably not. He held his own. I taught him some valuable lessons. Eventually, he knew he wanted to play baseball.”

Through his wrestling, Gordon learned that he could “only control what I can control.” He takes that same philosophy on the baseball field. Gordon doesn’t worry about when a teammate makes an error behind him or a catcher commits a passed ball.

“My father likes to say I’m the pitcher that I am today because of wrestling,” Gordon said. “You have to fend for yourself and just go on the attack. It’s a lot like pitching. I feel like, even though you have those guys behind me, it’s you vs. the hitter. That’s kind of how wrestling is.”

If wrestling is the reason for Gordon’s success on the mound, look at the numbers he has piled up so far in 2026: In his first 29 games, Gordon went 4-1 with a 2.14 ERA, while opposing hitters had a .165 opponents' batting average.

“We are extremely proud. I’m happy for him, personally, watching him do all the work in the offseason,” Gerald said. “To share in it, we’ve been very lucky. I try to go to games when I can. I’ve been lucky enough to see three of his four wins.”

Gerald will be the first to say that he wasn’t good at playing baseball. He credits Gordon’s coaches in high school and college for teaching him how to play the game the right way.

“He had great coaches from Little League to college, teaching him the basics of the sport,” Gerald said. “I give a lot of the coaches credit. There were some great pitching coaches growing up. My role was to get him in front of the right people. I always knew he was pretty good and I didn’t want to get in the way.

“When he was little, yes, we spent time in the backyard playing catch. He was hitting off a tee and I hit him grounders. He was the kind of kid that would never say no if you asked him to play catch. He always wanted to practice and play. That was a joy as a parent. He always had a love for the game even at an early age.”