NEW YORK — Aaron Judge and his veteran teammates were children during the Mark McGwire-Sammy Sosa home run chase of 1998 and Barry Bonds’ 73-homer campaign in 2001. They were not as close to the top of baseball back then than they are today. They were observers, watching the replays on ESPN and keeping an eye on the home runs.
“I was always trying to watch the games or tuning in late at night to see what they were doing,” DJ LeMahieuAfter the Yankees’ 9-8 victory over Pittsburgh. “Now to see someone do it close up, there’s no other way to say it: It’s just special.”
The ’98 home run chase, though eventually marred by steroid revelations, helped revive the national interest in baseball after the 1994 player strike that canceled a World Series. Nothing in baseball stuns like a home run, and for the children of Judge’s generation, nothing was more captivating than the thrill of watching big men chase even bigger records.
Judge is leading a new home runs chase. This comes after he hit his 60th homerun of the season against Pittsburgh on Tuesday night in Bronx. He works tirelessly to drown out the noise but his teammates are thrilled to ride this wave.
“Having a front seat from the on-deck circle for most of this has been amazing,” Anthony Rizzo said.
Judge’s 60th home run of the season tied Babe Ruth’s 1927 milestone, which sits second in American League history behind Roger Maris’ 61 home runs in 1961. Judge hit it in the Yankees’ 147th game of the season, giving him plenty of time to set the AL record before the postseason begins.
The Colossus of Clout is tied by a Judgian Blast pic.twitter.com/pta1vbR52m
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 21, 2022
“It’s tough to say (what hitting 60 home runs means),” Judge said Tuesday night. “I don’t think about the numbers. Talking about Ruth, Maris, (Mickey] Mantle, and all the Yankee greats is something we do. It’s not something you would ever imagine as a child being mentioned with them. It’s an incredible honor and something I don’t take lightly at all. But we’re not done. We’ve still got a couple of games left in this season, and hopefully more wins come with it.”
When the Yankees lost 8-5 to Pittsburgh in ninth inning, Bronx fans demanded that Judge be given a final curtain call. He made a walk through the dugout, high-fiving his teammates, and finally popped out of it to wave to the crowd. Although they were there to see the Yankees win, they were more motivated by Judge’s home run.
Judge was seen looking awkward while accepting individual adulation on a YES Network broadcast, even though the team was still in position for a loss.
“Come on,” the broadcast appeared to catch Judge saying. “Check the score.”
“I tried, right away, to tell him to get out there,” manager Aaron Boone said. “As much as anything, I knew Rizzo was waiting on it. I just wanted to get it over with, so I think he did it to not be a distraction to Rizz.”
“I didn’t know if he was gonna take the curtain call,” Rizzo said. “It’s just exciting to be a part of. I think all of us, all of our families, everyone is excited.”
A few batters later, Judge’s curtain call shed any small patina of poor taste when Giancarlo StantonJudge walked away with the grand slam. Judge was able to score his 60th home run as well as a win. The walk-off caused him to “lose his mind,” he said, as he ran toward home plate to celebrate with his teammate.
Observe the repeat🔁@Giancarlo818 💪 pic.twitter.com/frseL0yCv7
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 21, 2022
Rizzo gave the Yankees’ championship belt to Stanton, not Judge, noting that it was a tough call between a 60th home run and a walk-off grand slam, but he felt that giving it to Stanton would be Judge’s preference.
“He hit 60 tonight and it’s like nothing happened,” Stanton said of Judge’s demeanor after the victory. “He’s got more work to do, and that’s the mindset. This is just fun to be a part of.”
Judge is having one of the best individual seasons in baseball history, but Tuesday afternoon, his manager reiterated that the outfielder’s goals are to “be a good teammate, and winning.”
Boone was purposeful in noting that he sees this as Judge’s “genuine focus,” not a “stated focus,” and that by holding that belief, it makes him better as an individual performer.
“He knows everything else will take care of itself because he’s a good player,” Boone said.
Judge’s success is helping to take care of his teammates, too. They were able to persevere through a long, difficult stretch. Their team was also buoyed by Judge’s consistency. The team is now seeing the positive side of his performance. He has become a friend and a close colleague.
“It’s inspiring because he’s showing us the limits of what’s possible — offensively, defensively and as a leader,” catcher Kyle Higashioka said. “I want him to hit a home run in every at-bat, and I think that’s the same sentiment amongst everybody else in this clubhouse, too. As good as he’s playing on the field, he’s the best teammate you could ever imagine. So there’s nobody in here who doesn’t wish for the absolute best for him.”
“The craziest thing is that he’s gonna hit so many more,” Gerrit Cole said. “If we play baseball another six weeks, through the postseason, he’s gonna hit like 12, 13 more home runs. He’s just getting started.”
Late Tuesday night, Cole spoke excitedly about showing the highlight of Judge’s 60th home run to his toddler son, Caden, the next morning. He realized he should film Caden’s reaction, knowing he would be excited to see another big home run from a player he attempts to imitate (albeit with a cross-grip, left-handed swing). Cole has memories of watching Sosa and McGwire battle it out in the summer of ’98, and he can now create a record of his young child’s enjoyment of a home run record chase, as well.
Judge stood just feet away from Cole and prepared to go home for the evening. The chase for Cole will continue Wednesday, and the excitement will grow with each home run until the end. Judge hopes to one day be among the 28 Yankees when he enters Yankee Stadium each morning. His teammates admire his unwavering focus on winning, but they see him now as one of them.
(Photo: Brad Penner / USA Today)
