The verdict is in: Best night ever!
OAKLAND — Aaron Judge fans got what they came for.
They got to see their hometown hero hit his 23rd home run of the season in the Bombers’ 7-6 loss to the A’s on Friday night. But for one lucky family, they got so much more than they ever expected: a home run ball that was launched into orbit by No. 99.
David Nelson caught Judge’s 23rd home run Friday night, making a memorable night simply unforgettable for this Yankee-loving family.
How much do they love the Yankees? David, 42, and his wife Heather have four kids: Derek, 9, Nathan, 12, Mattingly, 14, and Olivia, 15.
Derek is named after Jeter and you can guess who Mattingly is named after.
“Nathan gives me a hard time about not being named for a Yankee,” Heather Nelson said.
David Nelson — whose family is from Galt, Calif., about 25 miles north of Judge’s hometown of Linden — took a half-day Friday to be able to attend the game with his family. They try to go at least once a year when the Yankees are in town. They arrived at the Coliseum early, just hoping to get a glimpse of Judge during batting practice, and they were giddy when they got within five feet of Judge before the game.
“Seeing how excited they are is very exciting for me,” David said, pointing to his two sons. “This is going to be their player growing up.”
In the third inning, Judge crushed a threerun home run into the seats beyond right field. The ball bounced off a step and into David’s hands. The souvenir is better than any picture.
“I’ve been a Yankee fan since I was a kid,” David said. “My favorite player was Mattingly. Derek’s favorite player was obviously Jeter, and now Nathan can follow Judge the same way.”
Later in the game, the Nelson’s night got even sweeter, if that’s even possible, when Judge tossed them a warmup ball from right field between innings.
The Nelsons are among the many local families pulling for Judge, not just because of where he’s from, but also because of how he carries himself.
“The thing about Aaron Judge is he’s a good dude,” David said. “He’s a good Christian man, he gives back. He’s down to earth, humble guy.”
And now they have a souvenir, and a story, to last a lifetime. GROSSMAN/DAILY NEWS EVAN