On Friday, April 9 of this year, there was considerable fear fan-favorite Yankee slugger Aaron Judge – amid turning down a 7-year/$213.5 million contract extension – could hear “boo birds” from the Bronx faithful who were ready to crown him the captaincy mere hours earlier.
Turn the 2022 calendar six months to October: Judge now dons a different crown after putting together not just a career year and “contract year” for the ages. He has compiled one of the best statistical seasons from any player in the game’s storied history.
At the same time, he has also seemingly guaranteed with interstellar play on the field and an unwavering team-first mentality that, like Leonardo DiCaprio-as-Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), he’s “not going nowhere.”
9-for-39 with just 1 home run since crossing over into the rare 60-homer territory weeks ago, the clearly-pressing Judge silenced the torn jury and returned to executioner form once more on Tuesday night. He sent his 62nd home run on the season sailing into the good Texas night to lead off Game 2 of a day-night doubleheader.
Rangers starter Jesus Tinoco surrendered the historic homer that finally brought Judge past another Yankee, Roger Maris, for the single-season American League home run record. Maris cracked 61 dingers in a 1961 chase for the ages with Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle, as immortalized in Billy Crystal’s Emmy-winning HBO film, *61 (2001).
Though Barry Bonds set the all-time single-season mark in 2001 with 73, three years after Mark McGwire supplanted Maris with 70 in 1998, the sector of proclaimed “baseball purists” demand more than asterisks next to admitted and alleged steroid users’ records.
“He [Judge] should be revered and celebrated as the single-season home run champ, not just the American League home run champ,” Roger Maris Jr., who traveled to many Yankee games down the stretch alongside Judge’s family to support No. 99’s quest for No. 62, said after the game. “I can’t think of anyone better that baseball can look up to as Aaron Judge, who is the face of baseball, to actually do that.”
The controversy-eluding, Jeterian media-stealth Judge once told Sports Illustrated “73 is the record” in his book. Nevertheless, he told the media after the game he is both relieved and excited that individual milestone-distracted fans can get back to watching some ballgames again.
For the Yankees specifically, their next batch will be in the American League Division Series against the victor of the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians Wild Card series. Leading their charge into the playoffs will be a replenished, and well-deservedly rested Judge who narrowly missed the Triple Crown due to his slight fade at the finish.
However, slashing .425 (On-Base Percentage) / .686 (Slugging Percentage / 1.111 (On-Base Plus Slugging) in addition to .311 (Batting Average) / 62 (Home Runs) / 131 (Runs Batted In) is enough to make any opposing pitcher crumble this October. They certainly did all year, and will for years to come if the Yankees are wise enough to offer the man the blank check he felt he deserved last offseason, and proved he deserves even more so now.
At this rate, securing a 28th World Series trophy for the winningest franchise in major sports history should be all that remains to solidify this fate.
