


Brian Cashman didn’t make much noise ahead of the MLB trade deadline — but the Yankees general manager might have found a new arm for the bullpen … in 15 years.
Her name is Alexa Cardona and the club invited the 10-year-old from Franklin Square, N.Y., to its game Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Why, you ask?
The fifth grader went viral for a video of her drilling Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman in the back of a head with a water balloon during a Fourth of July parade.
The video took off on social media when it was incorrectly suggested that the politician was former vice president Mike Pence.
Throwing water balloons is a staple of the annual Stewart Manor parade, with more than 2,000 projectiles prepped for this year’s celebration.
Video of the incident went viral, and with good reason, as Cardona plunked Blakeman from 100 feet away.
Both attended batting practice Tuesday and had a chance to meet several Yankees, who were impressed with the video clip.
Outfielder Harrison Bader had been wondering who it was that tossed the balloon: “That was you? Good throw …. very impressive.”


Cardona told Bader she learned to throw like that by playing softball.
Hitting coach Sean Casey had a good laugh over the video: “Are you serious? Is that your am? That’s actually a good throw. We could use you. Can you sink it? Cut it a little bit?”

Rookie shortstop Anthony Volpe also chuckled after seeing the clip: “That’s pretty good.”
While Cardona and Blakeman enjoyed the pregame festivities, they didn’t have much to talk about after the game, which the Yankees lost, 5-2, leaving them in last place in the American League East and 3 1/2 games back in the wild card standings.