Posted on 09/28/2022 8:19:43 PM PDT by bitt
TORONTO — When Aaron Judge hit his 60th homer of the season on Sept. 20 to tie Babe Ruth’s magic number, it seemed Judge would match Roger Maris’ No. 61 at any minute.
Instead, it took eight more games, and two countries, along with Judge enduring his second-longest home run drought of the year- before the slugger finally tied the American League and franchise record on Wednesday night.
Judge’s historic smash in Toronto came against the Blue Jays’ Tim Mayza on a 3-2 pitch in the top of the seventh inning.
The two-run shot put the Yankees in front, 5-3, the game-winning runs in an 8-3 win.
“It’s an incredible honor,” Judge said on the YES broadcast after the game. “There’s a lot of emotions. It took me a little longer than I wanted to.”
Judge accomplished the feat with his mother, Patty, in attendance and sitting next to Roger Maris, Jr. The two embraced in the stands as Judge rounded the bases.
“I’m nothing without my family,” the slugger said. “They mean the world to me. They’re the reason that I’m here.”
Next up will be topping Maris’ record, which many consider to be the legitimate single-season home run record due to Barry Bonds’ PED ties.
The last player to hit as many home runs as Judge had before Wednesday night was his current teammate, Giancarlo Stanton, who had 59 during his National League MVP season of 2017 with the Marlins.
And while Stanton came up just shy of 60, nothing has slowed down Judge in 2022.
It was a season that began with Judge turning down the Yankees’ seven-year, $213.5 million extension on Opening Day, as the outfielder bet on himself and decided to head toward free agency.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
You get my point. The damage is done.
The season was 154 games long when Babe Ruth hit his 60 home runs.
The season was 162 games long when Roger Maris hit 61 home runs. The season is still 162 games long.
Bonds, McGwire and Sosa were notoriously juiced on steroids. In other words, they cheated to get their HRs so baseball is kind of ignoring them, especially the fans. It doesn’t look like they will ever be inducted to the HOF either. Just like Lance Armstrong who’s considered persona non grata in cycling for the same reason.
finally tied the American League and franchise record
Oh, come on!
It's not like AL is really baseball...
Lex clavatoris designati rescindenda est!
Guys dressed in PJ’s hitting a ball with a stick doesn’t impress me
Maris and Ruth both hit 60 homers in 154 games. Maris didn’t hit his 61st until the last game of a 162 game season.
One of my cousins married a guy who played in the minors in the 70’s, finally giving up baseball in the mid 80’s. He said the ball seemed to be a lot livelier when he left than when he started. He said in the early 70’s you really had to be a good hitter to keep a good average, much less hit home runs regularly. By the time he left he said the ball seemed to explode off the bat. Those are his observations and he was there, so...
Exactly, not only has Judge hit 61 home runs he also could very well win the triple crown in what might be the greatest offensive season ever by a hitter
All associated with PED. who knows,maybe Judge found a workaround. Doesn’t matter much, really.
I still like Ty Cobb in the “dead ball” era.
They were all cheaters...so Matris’s [and now Judge’s] real record stands.
For those who care about such things.
I'll stick to sports people play for their own sake that don't have giant TV deals and don't cost at least $50 to watch in person. Give me ultimate frisbee any day.
Quote: “Because 61 home runs is overhyped.”
Because so many have hit 61 without steroids? Uh, no. And therein lies the rub of the damage those three raided up idiots did to baseball. When someone who doesn’t cheat (at least that we know, they do have drug testing these days) many yawn at his achievements.
Its kind of like the last election. One guy got a record number of votes for an incumbent. The other guy got more because of electoral steroids. See my point?
Quote: “Because the Yankees suck.”
It gets hard looking up at the best. So yah, I can see why you think that they suck.
This is why the Yankees Suck....
https://www.si.com/mlb/2019/04/18/yankees-stop-playing-kate-smith-god-bless-america-potential-racism
Ahhh, point taken. That is definite suck.
Like I said … If Aaron Judge played anywhere but New York, this wouldn’t even be front-page BASEBALL news.
They cheated—true.
But—the more interesting and nuanced question is exactly how steroids helped them break the record.
Can those drugs help you hit a curveball?
I have heard that argument from the steroid apologists.
Where to start:
Look at their numbers before and after they admitted to starting use. So, they just went on a tear (at an age when most players decline) as a coincidence?
Strength helps such that when you hit a ball, which under normal conditions would have been a fly ball out, it now suddenly flies over the fence.
It helps that when you normally would have gotten tired or worn out during the long season, you are healing up just fine and can continue along your merry way.
If the players weren’t sure it helped, then why the secrecy? Why Balco?
One may as well ask, has it been proven that steroids and blood doping helped Lance Armstrong? Different sports for sure, but different doping too.
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