The New York Yankees invited members of the 2012 U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestling team to be their special guests during their home game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night.

The U.S. wrestlers are in town to participate in the USA vs. Russia dual meet as part of the Beat the Streets Gala in Times Square on Thursday.

All six wrestlers who have secured a spot on the Olympic Team, along with coaches and other National Team members went to the game. Leaving the New York Athletic Club in Manhattan, the team took the D train from Columbus Circle up to the Bronx at the Yankee Stadium subway station.

The Yankees brought the team down onto the field during batting practice for an upclose view of the famous stadium and the Yankee players preparing for their game. A number of the wrestlers were also interviewed by the media on the field prior to the game.

The Yankees had a greeting message on the scoreboard while the wrestlers were on the field which read “Yankees Welcome 2012 U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team.” A cameraman took a video of the wrestlers on the field and placed it up on the huge centerfield scoreboard for the fans to see them.

Yankee star Curtis Granderson came over and visited with the Olympic wrestlers for quite some time after he finished his batting practice.

“It is very exciting. It’s a lifetime thing. Not many people get to come to a Yankee game in Yankee Stadium. We get to be on the field, watch batting practice and see the game. It’s awesome,” said Olympian Jake Varner.

The Yankees also took the team to see the monuments in center field, where the Yankees have the numbers retired for all of their great players and managers. 

After the tour of the stadium, the Olympic wrestlers were given seats in Suite 41. The team was able to enjoy the game from this luxury box, which provided a tremendous view of the game. The team was especially excited about the large spread of food which was provided for them. Perhaps the most popular was a large tray of sushi, which went very quickly.

“They took awesome care of us. Hats off to the Yankee organization,” said Olympian Jared Frayer. “I look forward to coming back here with a gold medal on, and can take full advantage of their hospitality. The food and setup is pretty impressive, only the best for us.”

The late George Steinbrenner, the baseball legend who owned the Yankees until his recent death, was a huge supporter of the U.S. Olympic Movement. 

USA Wrestling thanks the New York Yankees for being such generous and gracious hosts of the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team. Special thanks go to Joe Favorito, who handles public relations for the Beat the Streets Gala, as well as former USOC Executive Director and sports business giant Dr. Harvey Schiller, for their efforts in providing this opportunity for the team.