LOCAL BOY MAKES VERY GOOD
Yankee slugger’s 47th homer of the night clinches win
Yankee Aaron Judge, born in the San Joaquin County town of Linden, celebrates winning the Home Run Derby.
MIAMI >> Aaron Judge hit the glass behind left field that supports the retractable roof at Marlins Park. He drove balls over the Red Grooms home run sculpture in left-center, over the batter’s eye in center and unusually for a Home Run Derby, to the opposite field, too.
He even hit the roof. The larger-than-life New York Yankees slugger dominated the All-Star Home Run Derby in the same manner he has smashed his way through his rookie season, beating Minnesota’s Miguel Sano, 11-10, with two minutes to spare in the final on Monday night.
“It was a blast. I enjoyed every minute of it watching the other guys swing, coming here early and talking to the media,” Judge said. “Everything about today was fantastic.”
Five years ago, Judge won the college home run derby in Omaha, Nebraska. This time, he outslugged some of baseball’s top stars, including local favorites Giancarlo Stanton and Justin Bour of the Miami Marlins.
“A lot more fans,” Judge said. “Your adrenaline is pumping, you’re nervous, you’re excited. But this was an incredible experience.”
Judge, 6-foot-7 and 282 pounds, hit 47 home runs in the derby that totaled 3.9 miles.
His longest drive of the night went 513 feet, and he topped 500 four times.
Judge had no trouble hitting the roof, thought to be previously untouched by batted ball.
That drive didn’t count. “I got it in BP, too, earlier. So I wasn’t too surprised by that,” Judge said.
Hitting second each time, Judge knocked out Bour, 2322, in the first round and beat Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger, 1312, in the second round.
Then, with lightning visible behind the huge glass door, he hit a 458-foot drive above the batter’s eye for the title.
Homefield not on the line
For the first time since the wacky tie in 2002 at Milwaukee, the league that wins the All-Star Game won’t get home-field advantage in the World Series. Instead, that’ll go to the pennant winner with the best record.
So what’s this game worth to Bryce Harper, Jose Altuve, Nolan Arenado and the rest of the guys? Well, the players on the winning side each get a $20,000 bonus while the losing side gets nothing.
American League eager to even up score
Home Run Derby champ Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa and their teammates have a chance to do something the American League hasn’t accomplished in more than five decades; pull even in the All-Star Game rivalry. The AL has won four in a row, but still trails, 43-42, with two ties going into the Midsummer Classic at Marlins Park.
It was 17-all going into the 1965 game at Metropolitan Stadium in Minnesota. Willie Mays hit a leadoff home run and with Juan Marichal starting, Sandy Koufax getting the win and Bob Gibson earning a save, the NL posted a 6-5 victory that put the Senior Circuit ahead to stay.
No Cub champs in the game
Manager Joe Maddon is the only member of the Cubs’ first championship team since 1908 attending the All-Star Game. With the Cubs languishing at 43-45, tied for second in the NL Central and 5 1/2 games back of Milwaukee, their only All-Star is Wade Davis. The reliever was acquired in December in a trade with Kansas City.
The previous World Series champion with just one All-Star was the St. Louis Cardinals in 2007 with Albert Pujols.
Davis predicted a rebound after the All-Star Game.
“There’s a lot of talent on that team and they’ll be fine,” he said.