Posted on 09/28/2022 7:26:46 PM PDT by nickcarraway
New York Yankees star Aaron Judge hit his 61st home run of the season Wednesday night against the Toronto Blue Jays, tying Roger Maris' American League record.
It took Maris until Oct. 1, the final game of the 1961 season, to hit his 61st, which broke Babe Ruth's single-season mark of 60 home runs set in 1927.
Judge did it Sept. 28, in Game No. 155 for New York. A day after the Yankees clinched the American League East title, Judge, batting leadoff as the designated hitter, took Toronto's Tim Mayza deep in the seventh inning with a runner on base. Judge -- who walked in his first at-bat, popped out in his second and grounded out in his third -- had gone seven games without a home run since managing just one solo shot during New York's 6-0 homestand.
He and the Yankees then headed to Toronto looking to make history at Rogers Centre. He went 1-for-3 with a single in the series opener Monday and walked four times in Tuesday's division clincher, before ultimately launching the historic shot Wednesday.
The seven-game homerless drought was a rare case for the select few who've reached such home run heights. Of the previous seven instances in which a player hit 61 home runs, four had reached that mark the next game after hitting 60 and none went more than three games to reach the milestone.
Judge finally got there in the series finale, with Roger Maris Jr. and Judge's mother sitting, front row, on top of the Yankees dugout. And now, the only players in MLB history with more home runs in a season are Barry Bonds (73), Mark McGwire (70, 65) and Sammy Sosa (66, 64, 63) -- all of whom accomplished theirs during the steroid era (1998-2001).
Judge's 2022 tear has been done with zero evidence of performance-enhancing drugs used by the Yankees slugger, which manager Aaron Boone believes puts the All-Star outfielder's numbers beyond those recorded by the others.
"I think it puts it a notch above," Boone said last week. "I got to believe it's right there with some of the best very short list of all-time seasons. I go back to the context of the season, and the more I look at it and dive into it, it's got to be an all-time great season."
At one point, Judge's torrid home run pace matched that of Bonds' 2001 record-setting season, but with less than two weeks left of games, it will take a formidable surge for him now to approach that mark.
Maris' 61 is considered by many to be the "clean" home run record. Judge, a Northern California native who has called Bonds "the greatest hitter of all time," does not devalue his accomplishments.
"That's the record," said Judge, who graduated from Linden High School in San Joaquin County, about an hour and a half east of the San Francisco Bay. "I watched him do it. I stayed up late watching him do it. That's the record. No one can take that from him."
Bonds, for his part, said over the weekend that he could see Judge going on a home run streak after connecting on his 61st.
"Trying to get to that 61 is the hardest one," Bonds said on the KayRod Cast on ESPN2 during Sunday Night Baseball. "Trying to get to that one. Once he gets to it, he's probably going to hit five or six in a row after that. But trying to get to there, that's the hardest one, that 61 is going to be the hardest. It's a big moment on 61."
The Yankees are hoping for more big moments next month. At times appearing as if they'd run away from the American League pack before stumbling through August, New York seems destined for the AL's No. 2 postseason seed behind the Houston Astros. The division title was New York's first since 2019, and 20th overall in franchise history.
Judge was a big reason for the crown, and it's been more than just home runs. He entered Wednesday's action, leading the AL in batting average, home runs and RBI as he looks to become the third Yankees player to win the Triple Crown (Lou Gehrig in 1934, Mickey Mantle in 1956).
Judge's homer gave the Yankees a 5-3 lead, and they took a 6-3 edge into the bottom of the inning. The ball was retrieved by Blue Jays bullpen coach Matt Buschmann after it bounded into the Toronto bullpen.
That was Gary Sanchez, not Judge.
I don’t think so. Maybe different reporting you saw at the time. I remember it.
I am not trying to defend Gary Sanchez for any reason.
There can be more than one worthless scumbag on any team.
Apparently human growth hormones (HGH) do. That would explain why Jason Giambi lost 65 points off his batting average and led the AL in strikeouts the year in the early 2000s when he showed up for spring training looking like an emaciated waif compared to his prior build.
Hit in Game number 155, so he tied Ruth’s record, but did not break it.
“Next closest has 40 something.
Huh? George Foster had 52 in the 70s. I suspect there are others.
—
I am talking about this year.
Btw I remember 1977 and Foster. He also had 149 RBI. A monster year.
Bonds looked like a stick figure in the early 90’s.
I don't think that was Judge.
Here's how MLB punished the "scumbags".
Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera gets seven games, as MLB cites that he is guilty of "inciting" the first fight.
Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez gets four games for throwing punches.
Tigers pitcher Alex Wilson gets four games for intentionally throwing at Todd Frazier.
Yankees catcher Austin Romine gets two games for throwing punches back at Cabrera.
No mention of Judge.
Get your facts straight! How could u call Judge a thug…he’s as classy as you can get and you are a disgrace to FR with your cheap shots based on a lie! U should be ashamed of yourself!
What is FR coming to? Almost 30 posts and not a single: “Base ball? Never heard of it. Wait, I used to follow it religiously, but ever since the Strike of ‘72/Designated Hitter/Strike of ‘81/Strike of ‘94/Steroid Era/Kneelers...never again!!!”
Old Double X also came close to the record.
Ruth played in 154 game season so it took Judge one more game, right?
Yes
To all:
Re: Gary Sanchez....
You are right and I have evidence at link to prove I was wrong.
I throw myself on the mercy of the FR court of appeals for forgiveness for attacking Aaron Judge.
RE: U should be ashamed of yourself!
I am ashamed of myself.
Shammy Sosa also used corked bats, was awesome when he broke one, the retarded cub fans even bailed on him, absolutely Sosa was a big cheater who got caught. Announcers were speechless a laugh riot. Chicago hates him lol.
Then Sosa became white. Still one of the most bizarre things I’ve ever seen.
Babe Ruth still the best. He only used hotdogs and alcohol as boosters.
The longer number of games from 1962 and shorter outfield and different baseball and height of pitcher mound allows more home runs among other reasons.
Player HR League Avg. Pct.
Ruth 60 58 1.03
Maris 61 153 0.40
Bonds 73 185 0.39
Most single-season home runs, MLB
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-home-run-record-list-of-most-home-runs-in-a-season-single-season-hr-leaders-as-aaron-judge-hits-no-61/
1. Barry Bonds, 73, 2001
2. Mark McGwire, 70, 1998
3. Sammy Sosa, 66, 1998
4. Mark McGwire, 65, 1999
5. Sammy Sosa, 64, 2001
6. Sammy Sosa, 63, 1999
T7. Aaron Judge, 61, 2022
T7. Roger Maris, 61, 1961
9. Babe Ruth, 60, 1927
T10. Giancarlo Stanton, 59, 2017
T10. Babe Ruth, 59, 1921
Fastest to 60 home runs (by team games)
1. Barry Bonds, 141 games, 2001
2. Mark McGwire, 142 games, 1998
3. Aaron Judge, 147 games, 2022
4. Sammy Sosa, 148 games, 1999
5. Sammy Sosa, 149 games, 1998
6. Babe Ruth, 154 games, 1927
7. Mark McGwire, 155 games, 1999
8. Sammy Sosa, 157 games, 2001
9. Roger Maris, 159 games, 1961
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