Every time a player hits a home run that breaks a record, people wonder about where is the historic ball going to end up. After the Yankees beat the Blue Jays 8-3 at Rogers Centre on Wednesday night, Aaron Judge presented his 61st HR ball to his mom, Patty, when he met her after the game.
The New York slugger also for the first time admitted that he was under pressure and felt much relieved after his 61st home run.
Aaron Judge went seven games without hitting a home run, which was his second-longest drought during this season. However, he stayed disciplined at the plate and walked 13 times, including four times on Tuesday.
Talking to reporters after the historic game, the power hitter admitted that there was “definitely a little bit of relief” after hitting the 61st home run that tied as the joint record holder for maximum homers in the American League.
Aaron Judge told:
“You try not to think about it, but it keeps coming back.”
But at the end of the day, he feels lucky to be under so much pressure. According to the Yankees’ slugger:
“I’m playing a kid’s game, and I love it. I love these moments, especially when it’s a 3-3 game and you have a chance to put a runner in scoring position or drive a runner in. So I was just trying to take everything in and do my job.”
Aaron Judge admits that hitting 61 home runs took him “a bit longer than I wanted to,” but in any scenario, he equaled Roger Maris for the most home runs in a single season in the American League.
After his record-tying home run, the California-born outfielder was greeted by his mom Patty Judge and Roger Maris Jr. Both were among the first-row crowd in the last seven games waiting for Aaron Judge’s historic home run.
Patty cheered as Judge rounded the bases and was visibly elated when her son tied Roger Maris’ AL record for home runs in a season, which had stood for over six decades. The son gifted his 61st home run ball to his mom.
There were more gifts than just those. Home-plate umpire Brian O’Nora called on Judge to congratulate him for equalling Maris’ record and presented him with the lineup card for the historic game.
Some people might say that Judge tied the real record because Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa all used steroids and beat Maris between 1998 and 2001.
Judge, on the other hand, has said that Bonds’ “73” from 2001 is the real record. But he’s not taking this number for granted. He said:
“This is a moment I will never forget. It’s an incredible honor. There were a lot of emotions. It took me a little longer than I wanted to. But getting a chance to get two runs on the board, help out Gerrit [Cole] get another win, this is something pretty special.”
Aaron Judge has always been a team player. He is the real captain of the best sports team in the world, and since his MLB debut on August 13, 2016, he has put the team first. During the August slide, he carried the team on his shoulder.
The Yankees team walked out of the dugout as soon as Judge hit the historic home run. They received him with a standing ovation. Judge was very happy to tell:
“That was pretty cool. I wasn’t expecting it. You never know what’s going to happen, what the guys are going to do, but seeing the love from my teammates who I show up to work every single day, I do what I do for them. Being able to share that moment with them and do it up here in a win, it’s tough to describe right now.”
The Yankees have seven games left this season and Judge will try to break Maris’s record. Three of them are Yankee Stadium where the hometeam will host the Orioles. They will end the regular season with a trip to Texas for a four-game series.
Do you think Aaron Judge can hit 65 home runs this season?
