The legends of baseball lore found Judge even though he said he was not thinking about home run records.
Judge was given an August 1961 issue of Life Magazine, featuring Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, before a game against Boston in September. Judge put the magazine on the shelf of his locker after holding it for a while. It stared at him when he got ready for the game.
The judge said "Ruth, Mantle, Maris." As a child, you never imagined that you would be mentioned with them.
Judge has joined the Yankees in the record books with a 62- home run season and is on the cover of a magazine. Even before this year, Judge was one of the few baseball stars with a celebrity that didn't go away. The free agent is the favorite to win the Most Valuable Player award.
It wasn't always comfortable to be spotlighted.
Judge tells the sports network that he tries to reduce his time outdoors. Don't be stopped by TV cameras about something.
Judge became the first home run pitcher to hit a home run in back-to-back years. A man named David Schoenfield.
Every Judge at-bat had a different dynamic as Judge approached the 61- home-run mark. The fans at Yankee Stadium and on the road took out their phones to record history. When the pitchers began striding toward the plate, the crowd went quiet. Every Judge at-bat resulted in a notification on the phone or on the internet. After the Yankees bowed out of the playoffs, they became the defining positive memories of the year.
The atmosphere at the stadium was much different than Judge wanted it to be.
Judge says he first heard it against the Pirates when he led the game with a double. People were disappointed. I had a second double and I almost heard a sigh of relief. It is a close game and that is a double. It shouldn't be sitting still.
Even though Judge wanted to treat it like any other season, it was not. It was clear to those of us watching at home, as well as those with him at the stadium every day, that his teammates were watching history in the making. Their perspective on his season is on some of his most memorable home runs.
It's difficult to imagine that it would take 13 games for Judge to get his first home run of the season. No. 1 came off Jose Berrios on a 91.9 mph pitch that went 413 feet during a loss to the Toronto BlueJays.
Even though the Yankees haven't started the season yet, Judge's teammates and the rest of the Yankees don't need much evidence for them to believe that 2022.
Early on we knew he was capable. He's reached 50 before. Every year, he is capable in The Show. Early on in the season, he was in a good place.
The conversations happened organically in the Yankees' locker room. The number began to become a thing in the last few weeks after everybody was watching it. He has been steady the entire time. He's got a chance and we've all been watching.
It feels like you're back in the good ol' days when you watched Babe Ruth.
It has never been a focus for me. I wasn't focused on hitting 70 homers when I went out there. I would be thinking about that all year if that was the case. The focus should be on the mind. Hit.300 and drive a lot. What can I do to make this team better? If you first win the division, you can go to the World Series.
It's more memorable for everything that happens after the ball lands in the stands than it is for Judge's home run in Toronto. After Mike Lanzillotta caught the moonshot, he gave the ball to the Yankees fan who cried and thanked him with a huge hug.
The Yankees fan said he was happy. I said thank you, and I hugged you. My friends and teacher were happy for me. Everyone wanted to know what happened. It was simply incredible. People were given the chance to touch the ball after my teacher showed what happened.
That is a moment that has been seen around the world. It means a lot to the Blue Jay fans here.
It's difficult to beat that. It's one of those moments that makes you feel good.
Judge met with Rodriguez and Lanzilletta on the field.
The judge asked him who his favorite player was and he turned around with his jersey. The sight of little kids wearing my jersey gives me goose bumps.
Judge hit his first walk-off home run of the season on a hanging pitch from the BlueJays closer. Judge was brought up to the plate with one out in the game.
You just want to be with him. All of us feel that way. Something good will happen if we get on base. You just want to keep the line moving if you are behind him.
For us to get on base for him to come up hit and walk off, I was just preparing to run.
Judge hit his second walk-off home run of the season, a three-run, 417-foot home run in the 10th off Houston Astros relief pitcher Seth Martinez on an 80.2 mph pitch, which brought home Matt Carpenter and a pair of runners to give the Yankees a 6-3
I think he's going to hit a home run whenever he goes up there. He's a machine.
It's difficult to explain, but it's just his personality. He goes about his business in a way that makes him feel confident and humble. You don't think he's a superstar because of the way he acts. Every day it's the same. I think the fact that he can stay neutral is allowing him to do what he wants if we win or lose.
Judge hit his 32nd and 33rd home runs of the season, the first a 401-foot shot off Nick Pivetta on a 88.6 mph pitch and the second a 444-foot moonshot to center off the relief pitcher, during a 14-0 win over Boston in New York
All of our coverage from the historic season can be found here.
There was a magical night of 60.
He could get a free agency worth $375 million.
All-time, where this season is ranked.
As Judge heads into the All-Star break with 33 homers, some in the Yankees' locker room wonder how many they can get.
The guys were talking about it.
Let's see how much more you can do.
He was going to keep hitting homers.
There are 33 home runs after the first half. It might be difficult for him to repeat that.
After the All-Star break, Judge hits two homers against the Orioles, his seventh multi- home run game of the season. He hit his second home run of the game, a 465-foot shot to center.
The home run tear is a moment when Judge chases the home run record.
He's going to need to repeat what he did in the first half in the second half, but we wouldn't have a lot of talks about it before the All-Star break. He came out of the gate and left. It becomes real when that happens. He's talking about business.
The Yankees' hitting coach does not waste time. He does what he's supposed to do. He works on a lot of mental strength and precision. He doesn't have to feel bad in order to play well. Everyone wants to play well. He leaves the cage on a foul ball or a swing-and-miss, but that will lead to a good performance. It isn't about how he feels. He does what he does.
The Yankees first baseman asks questions. He has fun, but he doesn't think he knows anything. Being an everyday position player, you have to be selfish when it comes to getting ready and making sure your body is in tip top shape. He does a good job of being vocal and having fun while being loud.
Kyle Higashioka is the new team captain.
A fan at Camden Yards yelled "He's going to strike out!" immediately before Judge hit a home run on a 78.6 mph curve.
Fan: "He's gonna strikeout!"
Judge: *Hits a 460 foot homer on the next pitch pic.twitter.com/8mIb4jN4qQ
— Gabe (@PlayoffTanaka_) July 24, 2022
In the midst of jeering from fans and outside noise, Judge's teammates have confidence in him.
It's a good feeling when you know you have the best player on the field. I used to get really, really nervous on start days and I used to see our lineup in my first three starts last year and I was like, "Oh my gosh, those guys are backing you up every day." The judge is in charge of that.
Judge hit his third walk-off home run of the year off Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Scott Barlow on a 95.4 mph pitch that flew 431 feet to center field. The Yankees struggled early in the game, not scoring off starter Brady Singer, who struck out 10 batters and allowed just three base runners.
Judge has hit a home run in six of seven games.
He's putting together a really good season. Barlow is definitely tough. He threw the ball up in the air and did a good job. He did a great job of getting it up and riding it out. I was trying to give it a kick when I thought it was out. I knew it was possible because it was the judge.
Cole said it was historical. The quality of stuff that the league is challenging him with is as good as it's ever been, and that is what makes it unbelievable. He has been as good as it has ever been.
After nine straight games without a home run, Judge hits two in two days against the New York Mets.
While the Yankees end the month with a 10-18 record, the second worst mark in the American League in that span, Judge carries the team's offense, hitting.289/.458/.633 with nine homers and 22 runs scored.
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You can't let him be the guy to beat you. Trying to minimize the damage is what you're trying to do. He doesn't care if he takes his walks or not. He's just focused on the task at hand. This year hasn't been surprising because he was always a guy that hits for homers and averages. You're trying to pitch to him so you don't damage him.
Pete Alonso said it was special to watch. People pay a lot of attention to home runs and things like that because he is a big strong guy. His approach and how he's been chasing down the batting title as a big guy and pitchers pitching around him because they are scared is the most impressive thing. He is capable of hitting the ball hard. It's amazing how well he keeps his timing and rhythm throughout the year.
To have a season like that, the consistency, you have to be locked in all the time. It says a lot about his work ethic and how he's been able to concentrate because it's so difficult to do.
The Yankees kept pitching to him because he kept hitting home runs. I said he's got a chance as the numbers continued to go up. He could have gotten to 64.
Judge sets the new single-season Yankees home run record for a right-handed hitter in his fourth game with a home run. He hits it off the Minnesota Twins pitcher.
It's not that bad when you look at the worst stretches of his season. It's great. You look at the stretches where there aren't a lot of home runs and try to figure out if there is a discrepancy in the quality of his at-bats. There is no difference. Every time, he's giving you a good at-bat.
Judge hit two home runs against the Milwaukee Brewers and finished the series with seven hits. The batting title and the Triple Crown are within Judge's grasp after he raised his average six points.
His average went up against the Brewers. He's one point away from the Triple Crown and you know that he's having a historic season with the home run record. It's the first time a home run record and a Triple Crown have been done.
We try to understand the gravity of the situation and make sure that these moments are special. There's been a lot of thought about the historical significance of it all. We're extremely focused on what we're trying to do as a club, trying to win, so there's never a chance to really sit there and enjoy it.
Babe Ruth's home run record was broken by Maris in 1961. Judge's 60th home run doesn't seem to make a difference in the story of the game, only cutting the Pittsburgh Pirates' lead to 8-5 in the ninth. In the bottom of the ninth, the Bronx Yankees got a walk-off grand slam from Giancarlo Stanton.
"Idiot, you should've done this earlier," Judge said as he kicked himself.
You think he's going to hit a home run when we win or lose.
He has been in that spot all year. A few of those guys broke the record as a child. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. Fans enjoyed watching that. He is capable of it. It isn't surprising to watch it unfold.
He's the same person every time. You can't even notice that he's about to hit his 61st home run inside the club house. I think he's so special because he's the same person. He's the same guy no matter what and we feed off that energy. We have to keep it level for every other guy that is in there. The guy has been the same for a long time.
The Yankees outfielder said it was "unbelievable." 60 like nothing happened.
It was a number that was difficult to reach.
Judge hadn't hit a home run in seven games. None of the seven times a player hit 61 homers took more than three games to reach the milestone.
Everyone is trying to get a seat when he gets 60. The people are trying to get a good view. You want to watch this. I stop taking notes when I chart pitches. We want to be present.
You don't script because you don't know what kind of home run he will hit. When Phil said that this could be it, I wanted to pay tribute to him.
With his mother, Patty, and Roger Maris Jr. in attendance, Judge takes a 94.5 mph sinker from Tim Mayza and pulls the ball just over the left-field fence for a 409-foot home run. He was given a standing ovation by the crowd in Toronto.
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