An unexpected moment involving Aaron Judge, the Yankees, and the World Series finale captured headlines this Thursday.
Be that as it may, the ball symbolizing the Yankees’ unraveling in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series has become a collector’s item, now fetching over $25,000 in an auction hosted by the Dodgers. The Dodgers, who clinched their title with a dramatic 7-6 victory on October 30, marked the ball as “Dropped Fly Ball by Aaron Judge.”
When did it happen?
The pivotal moment occurred during the top of the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees, leading 5-0 and seemingly poised to send the series back to Los Angeles after trailing 3-0, saw their fortunes reversed when Judge failed to catch Tommy Edman’s routine line drive. The error led to a five-run Dodgers outburst, flipping the momentum in their favor. Manager Dave Roberts later admitted that the prospect of a Game 6 would have been nerve-wracking for his team.
Details of the auction
The official Dodgers auction site launched the bidding for the infamous ball on December 2, starting at $100. As of Thursday evening, bids had surged to $25,000, with 85 total bids placed. According to the New York Post, the auction, set to close at 8 p.m. EST, reflects the enduring interest in the dramatic turning point of the World Series.
Aaron Judge’s miscue came during an inning that began with a Kiké Hernández single. Gerrit Cole, pitching for the Yankees, faced a bases-loaded jam but struck out Gavin Lux and Shohei Ohtani, inching toward an escape. However, a failure to cover first base on a Mookie Betts infield single, followed by hits from Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández, erased the Yankees’ lead.
“That doesn’t happen, I think we’ve got a different story tonight,” Judge said postgame when asked about the dropped ball. Reflecting on the play, he simply added, “I just didn’t make it.”
The loss sealed the Yankees’ fate, ending a season where they entered the playoffs as the American League’s top seed, buoyed by Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. The offseason brought further upheaval, with Soto leaving for a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets.
However, the ball’s auction underscores its significance for some baseball fans. For Yankees fans, it’s a painful reminder of what could have been, while Dodgers fans savor the artifact as a memento of their championship run.
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