Brian Gordon is a fan of the movie “The Rookie.”
“It’s a good one,” the Yankees’ Accidental Starter said yesterday after coming out of nowhere to live his dream, after opting out of his Phillies minor league contract and being scooped up by Brian Cashman after the Yankees general manager received a favorable report on the right-hander from his video-watching minions.
This was Gordon’s first major league start after a lifetime in the minors and a cup of coffee in the Rangers bullpen in 2008. He is a living example that anything is possible in baseball if you love the game, believe in yourself and run into a front office that is not afraid to go outside the box to find a starting pitcher.
“I think the Good Lord has a sense of humor,” Gordon said of the journey, which included stops in 12 different minor league cities after being drafted by the Diamondbacks in 1997 as an outfielder.
Gordon, 32, who switched over to pitching in 2007 and was tutored by the legendary Nolan Ryan, was a reliever until he recently became a starter for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. He went a heart-pumping 51⁄3 innings in the Yankees 3-2, 12-inning win over Ryan’s Rangers at Yankee Stadium. He held Texas to two runs on seven hits.
On Wednesday the Yankees ushered Gordon over to the park across the street so he could play long toss.
“No one recognized me, but one guy said, ‘Man, you got a good arm,’ ” Gordon said with a smile.
Baseball has evolved into organizations carrying an army of young pitchers who have 95-mph fastballs, but no command. Gordon is a strike thrower who specializes in a 68 mph curveball. When it was over Gordon couldn’t believe how the day turned out.
“The last 24 hours was nuts,” Gordon said as he stood in front of his locker, a locker without a nameplate. “I never experienced anything like it. Hopefully I can stick around a little bit and help the Yankees. It sounds weird just saying that.”
He will stay in the rotation and pitch Tuesday in Cincinnati, where the Yankees can use his bat as well in the no-DH games. At Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Gordon blasted a 460-foot home run his last start. Gordon was born in West Point but moved to Texas before he was 2 years old. This was his first trip back to New York.
When he showed up at the Stadium yesterday morning, he had to ask a Post reporter which locker belonged to him. He was given uniform No. 22, one that was worn by another pitcher with Texas roots, Roger Clemens.
When he made the switch to pitching after 10 years as a minor league outfielder, he was tutored by Ryan. Gordon’s mom works for a minor league team owned by Ryan, the Round Rock Express. She’s a receptionist and during games posts the “Ks” signifying strikeouts. She and her husband, Gordon’s wife and family members were at the Stadium, watching Gordon strike out three Rangers and seeing Adrian Beltre pop up on a 68 mph curveball.
Before the game, Cashman joked that the Phillies “got Cliff Lee. I got Brian Gordon. I don’t think they have anything to worry about.”
“You watch these guys day in and day out,” Gordon said of the Yankees. “I’m a student of the game and these are the guys I studied. This is the greatest stage in baseball, and you’re one of the five guys. It’s a dream come true. You just don’t know what this game has for you.”
As for the switch from outfielder to pitcher, he said, “I was at peace with retirement, but I knew I would kick myself in the butt if I didn’t give pitching a chance. I would lay my head down every night and I knew it would eat me up if I didn’t give pitching a chance.
“I was willing to go to Independent ball just to have some fun.”
Now he’s living the Hollywood dream, starting for the Yankees.
kevin.kernan@nypost.com