NEW YORK — The Yankees chose Aaron Judge as their 16th captain on Wednesday in the presence of their 15th and longest captain Derek Jeter. Mr. November termed the coronation of the power hitter a historic day for the Yankees and remembers his first meeting with the slugger years ago.
It was about six months after Jeter had a storybook ending with the celebrated walk-off single that ended his last game with the Yankees. The Yankees had invited the former shortstop and their most famous legend in recent years for a dinner with their newly recruited prospects. At that “Captain’s Camp,” both Yankees’ greats had their first meeting. Aaron Judge was at that dinner party in Tampa, Florida, and seemed to listen to every word Derek Jeter said.
That was the first time Jeter and Aaron Judge talked to each other. At the time, Aaron Judge was getting ready for his second full season in the Minor League. Captain Clutch told about his impression of the slugger:
“His size was the first thing that stands out, because you don’t see too many baseball players that size. Everyone at the camp was kind of quiet; they don’t say too much. But you could tell he was respectful. You can tell if people are paying attention. You could tell that he was listening, and I take all responsibility now for him being captain.”
Aaron Judge made it to the big leagues in 2016. Next year, he turned out to be a star by being named the Rookie of the Year in the American League. Now, he is the AL’s Most Valuable Player and will take over as Yankees captain from Derek Jeter.
His record-breaking performance and leadership qualities helped Aaron Judge become the Yankees’ 16th captain and the first in eight seasons. To celebrate the occasion, the Yankees invited Derek Jeter, their 15th captain, to the meet at Yankee Stadium. Jeter was visibly happy with owner Hal Steinbrenner for this gesture. Willie Randolph, who co-captained the Yankees from 1986 to 1988, was also there.
But Derek Jeter was touched that managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner flew him from Miami to New York for the news conference at Yankee Stadium. Willie Randolph, who co-captained the Yankees from 1986 to 1988, was also there.
“Look, I know a lot about the Yankees,” Derek Jeter said. “So, this is a big deal. People will still talk about it in 20, 30, and 40 years. Only a few people have been captain of the Yankees. I thought it was important for me to be here because they thought it was important for me to be here.”
Derek Jeter said that he thinks Aaron Judge has done a “great job” of handling himself in the spotlight in New York, and he sees in Judge the same winning-first attitude that he had for 20 years as the Yankees’ shortstop.
Jeter admired Aaron Judge and said: “Talking to his teammates, his coaches, and his manager will tell you everything you need to know.”
Aaron Judge’s first reaction after the Yankees deal
“I gave my wife, Samantha, a hug and a kiss. Even if my parents were sleeping, I woke them up. “I’ve got something you want to hear,” I said. I think you should get up.'” — Judge, what was the first thing he did after Steinbrenner agreed to the nine-year deal?
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