A Historic Season

It happened. 

Last night Aaron Judge hit his 62nd home run. 

Alison had just walked in the door after a doctor's appointment. I was in the kitchen making dinner. The iPad was on the bar, and while we cooked, we watched the Yankees game. Aaron Judge stepped up to the plate and hit a no-doubter 391 feet over the left field fence. At that moment Aaron Judge stood alone. He passed the Babe, the greatest (and most famous) baseball player ever. He passed the man who held the American League home run record for 61 years. With one swing he became the American League’s single-season home run leader. He also owned the single-season home run franchise for the greatest baseball franchise, the New York Yankees. We witnessed greatness. 

It has been an immense privilege to watch this literal giant of a man etch his name into the history books. With that swing in game 161 of the 2022 season, Aaron Judge put an exclamation mark on indisputably one of the best offensive seasons ever. He proved his name belongs in the pantheon of the best this franchise has ever seen - Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Maris, Berra, Jackson, Mattingly, Jeter, and now Judge. 

Over the past 2+ weeks, Alison and I have watched a lot of baseball games. We often watch and listen to a lot of baseball games, but these past couple of weeks we were hanging on every pitch and every at-bat, especially after Judge hit home run number 60. At that point, with 15 days left in the regular season, it felt like a forgone conclusion that he would hit 62. We watched with bated breath. It took a few games (and way too many walks), but eventually, he saw a pitch to hit and he tied the record with 61. We celebrated that accomplishment and continued to wait and watch. Each at-bat brought a sense of urgency, as they moved us inning by inning; game by game closer to the end of the season. We saw frustration boil over in the first game of a day-night doubleheader where Judge popped up and then uncharacteristically slammed his helmet in the dugout.  His display mirrored our concern that just maybe the season would slip away with the record unbroken, but that was not to be. Aaron Judge came through as he so often has this season and gave us the moment we watched and waited for. When we watch baseball, we watch with the hope that we will see something remarkable, something we have never seen before. We watch with hope that history will be made; that we will see greatness. Aaron Judge made that hope a reality. 

When we do see greatness it is incredible. The tears of joy and the elation at watching something special unfold before your very eyes define the game we love so much. And then we get to share that moment. Just after the ball left the yard our phones erupted with messages sharing the experience of other family members who were also watching the game. These shared moments connect us all as we share together a moment of wonder. 

Emotion, whether people like to admit it or not, is an important part of baseball. The 2022 season was a rollercoaster of emotion for the New York Yankees. We got to attend a few games in person this year. The first game was in New York. The Yankees had a thrilling victory over the Cubbies. This was in the midst of an amazing run. A run that put them on pace to be one of the winningest baseball teams ever. Those mid-summer months were pure joy. It felt like the Yankees couldn't lose. Then came the All-Star break. We went to the Yankees series in St. Loius and watched our beloved team get swept by the Cardinals. That was in the midst of a terrible slump. Every day was punctuated with the crushing disappointment of defeat. For a minute there it looked like the Yankees might melt down and squander what had earlier appeared to be an insurmountable division lead. That stretch was joyless and made you question why you are a baseball fan. Through it, all Judge marched steadily through history and when it mattered most he picked this team up and carried them on his back - MVP. I have no doubt that without Aaron Judge this team would not have won the division. He made the Yankees must-watch television and in his own humble, self-effacing way brought a lot of joy into the lives of all the fans. 

After watching his home run, I thought back to a spring training game in 2015. Aaron Judge was a 2013 first-round draft pick and this was probably his first spring training.  They brought him in late in the game - he didn't even get an at-bat. It was a hot day so the stadium was clearing out after the regular starters were subbed out. Blake and I moved down by home plate to watch the end of the game. After the Yankees won, I was hanging out by the dugout, then a player comes over and starts signing autographs. I had a baseball - I was prepared. I called over and Aaron Judge signaled for me to toss him the ball. He signed my ball and tossed it back. I was thrilled, but little did I know in just a few short years Aaron Judge would cement himself as my favorite Yankee, which made this experience all the sweeter. 

We love Aaron Judge. He is a great Yankee. We love him because he is kind, generous, and humble. We love him because he plays an underrated right field (and this year he was an excellent centerfielder). We love him because he hits majestic home runs. We love him because we have seen him, while he is in the on-deck circle, take a moment to make a kid's day by giving him a fist bump. We love him because he is a great person on and off the field. 

I can't think of a better person to break this record. We will cherish our memories of this moment and Judge's pursuit of history for years to come.