History In The Making
Roger Maris hit 61 in 1961 for the YankeesWhere do Aaron Judge and the Yankees go once the season is over? Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees is on the brink of breaking the American League and team home run record this week. Not the overall Major League record of 73 held by Barry Bonds. Roger Maris has held the Yankee and AL record since 1961, 61 years and 61 home runs. It’s a record that had an asterisk beside it because it was done in more games than the Legendary Babe Ruth played when he hit 60 in 154 games. Judge hit his 60th in 147 games
Summer of ’98
Aaron Judge of the Yankees is going to hit at least 61 home runs. Baseball fans have been arguing the number 61 since 1998 when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa went on their season-long chase of Maris’ record. Some say that race saved baseball from irrelevance because of the 1994 strike that canceled the World Series. We have long since learned that both players were part of the PED era of the sport, and many call the numbers they put up tainted. McGwire ended the season with 70, and Sosa ended up with 66 blowing past the Maris number that was set in the summer of 1961
Bonds Set’s Record
Fast forward to 2001 when San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds hit 73-round trippers to set a new record. A number that still sits in all MLB record books to this day, even with the cloud of PEDs hanging over it. Bonds would finish his career with 762 home runs which is a number that may never be broken. Numbers are numbers. They don’t lie. There are many fans who don’t see Bonds as the home run king, whether it is a single season or all-time. But it says he is in the record book, so he must be.
Judge Contract Extension With the Yankees
Fast forward to the beginning of the 2022 MLB campaign. Yankees GM Bryan Cashman held a press conference to tell Bronx Bombers fans that the team and its superstar had not been able to come to a contract extension. Cashman even went as far as telling the media what the offer was. Seven years, $213.5 million. Judge said thanks but no thanks and bet on himself. And that bet may be paying off, big time.
Aaron Judge hit his league-leading 60th home run on September 20th. Pair that with 128 RBIs and a batting average of .316, and he is on pace to win the triple crown. The first since Detroit Tigers star Miguel Cabrera did it in 2012. A potential MVP season, a triple crown, his team in the playoffs, and breaking a vaunted record to Yankee fans and baseball purists. I’d say Mr. Judge is about to get paid. Big time.
Are The Yankees the Only Option for Judge?
The problem with being great in baseball is that only a few teams can afford to pay their superstar’s market value. Yankees cross-town rivals the New York Mets, the San Francisco Giants, and the Boston Red Sox are among the teams to have not only the financial resources available to them but also have been rumored to have behind-the-scenes interest in Judge. That’s the issue Judge has. Not many teams can or are willing to pay top dollar to a player on the wrong side of 30. The deep pockets Mets owner Steve Cohen may make an offer to stick it to the Yankees, but he already has one of the highest payrolls in the sport.
Who Cares Outside of Yankee Fans?
The Judge home run chase of the American League and Yankee record is great for Yankees fans and baseball purists who still hold “61” as the overall record. But are fringe fans following this record chase in other markets like they were in ’98? Are they clamoring to buy Yankee game tickets?Are fans in San Francisco where Bonds put up 73 dingers taking notice of what Judge is doing? Are they saying, “Who cares? The record is 73. Wake me up if he gets to 70.” This is why Judges’ assault on baseball this season may only be significant to one fan base and one team. So is Aaron Judge’s Yankees home run record relevant elsewhere?
Love/Love Relationship
Marketing a team record is only marketable to one team. Having a section in your stadium named after its star can’t be transferred from one stadium to another. Everything is bigger in New York. The money Judge would leave on the table playing elsewhere would match what a number of his teammates make per year. Conversely, Judge has willed the Yankees to a playoff spot this season after their great start. Without him, they would have fallen out of the AL East and potentially out of a Wild Card spot. The Bleacher Creatures in section 203 of Yankee stadium chant his name during roll call every game and have grown to love the homegrown star. Judge seems to love playing for the Yankees. Seems to love being the biggest fish in the biggest pond.
Pinstripes Forever?
So when Aaron Judge breaks the team record at home this week, either against Pittsburgh or Boston, expect there to be a ceremony. A ceremony that wouldn’t be held if he did it elsewhere. Because Aaron Judge is a New York Yankee. He was drafted by them. Went through their minor league system. Became the face of one of the most famous brands in sport. He will one day have his jersey retired and a monument park plaque. He needs the Yankees.
It Will Get Done
After the season ends, the Steinbrenners, Cashman, Judge, and his reps will sit down. Judge’s camp will talk stats and records. The Yankees will talk about long-term contracts and how they don’t like paying players beyond a certain age. They will argue over money and term. Both sides will say things in the media to try and sway the court of public opinion in their favor. But in the end, a deal will get done. Judge will retire a Yankee. Because they both need each other.
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