The last-place A’s make it four straight over the first-place Yankees.
Yankees’ outfielder has power, humility
Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge has been compared to Derek Jeter for his “Never let them see you sweat” approach and the almost-cliche matter of fact way he deals with the media. It’s not easy being the hottest thing in major-league baseball, especially in New York, unless you’re a well-grounded giant from Linden.
Linden (San Joaquin County), the self-proclaimed cherry capital of the world, is about 80 miles east of Oakland, and two busloads of childhood friends and fans made the trip for Thursday’s series opener against the A’s. Many came back for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday games as well.
Judge, 25, gave them and the rest of the Yankees-leaning crowd a treat Friday night with a homer and a triple. It was the 6-foot-7, 282-pound
rookie’s majors-leading 23rd homer.This one didn’t go 495 feet like the one he crushed June 11, but it was still impressive.
The Yankees’ bullpen blew the game, 7-6, and Judge was asked if there was at least some satisfaction in homering in front of his Linden folks.
“Not really,” he said. “You always want to come out with a win.”
The Yankees had been winning plenty thanks to Judge, who is fourth in the majors with a .335 batting average, tied for first with 60 runs and tied for seventh with 53 RBIs. He leads the majors in jersey sales, and New York just named a section of its stadium “The Judge’s Chambers,” with fans wearing robes and sporting gavels.
He was asked about the distractions, this weekend and back in New York, after the game Friday. “Distractions?” Judge said. Off the field, he was offered. “That’s the thing,” Judge answered. “I’ve got a job to do on the field. All the off-field stuff takes care of itself. Once I get on the field, I’ve got a job to do and I’ve got to take care of it.”
It’s an approach that Judge got from his mother. When approached for an interview before Friday night’s game, she politely declined. Patty Judge also, very nicely, wouldn’t say how many friends bused to the Coliseum from Linden, or where they were sitting.
“This should all be about Aaron,” she said.
And what he is doing on the field.
When Yankees manager Joe Girardi compared him to Jeter this season, he was crediting Judge’s maturity, work ethic and presence. And Judge passed the compliment right on to his mother.
“I know I wouldn't be a New York Yankee if it wasn't for my mom,” Judge told reporters. “The guidance she gave me as a kid growing up, knowing the difference from right and wrong, how to treat people and how to go the extra mile and put in extra work, all that kind of stuff. She’s molded me into the person that I am today.”
Wayne and Patty Judge were physical-education teachers when they adopted two boys, each at birth, six years apart. Aaron was the second.
“They stressed education and keeping a tight schedule,” Judge said. “There was time for fun and sports after all your work and chores were done.”
Judge was almost an Athletic. … OK, not really. He was drafted in the 31st round by Oakland out of high school but didn’t think he was mature enough yet, so he went to Fresno State.
Girardi says his budding star is definitely mature enough now. Judge has cut down on his strikeouts and also become one of the team’s leaders.
“He's always working, always trying to get better. Understands when he makes mistakes, doesn’t make excuses,” Girardi said. “In spring training, he was there two hours after the game in the cage still hitting with (teammate) Rob Refsnyder.
“I was like, ‘OK, you guys have got to go home pretty soon, I don’t want your hands bleeding.’ That's just who he's always been.” Yankees’ rookie is all business