62, page 38
Before leaving Yankee Stadium that day, Judge posed with a pinstriped Yankees jersey with No. 62 on the back—a callback to the photograph Maris had taken in the clubhouse on the final day of the 1961 season, when he and Sal Durante had held up a No. 61 uniform top. Judge also ventured to Monument Park, where he inspected the plaque dedicated with “belated recognition” in Maris’s honor on July 21, 1984. With that, ninety-nine days remained before Judge would slip his pinstripes back on for a sprint from the first-base dugout, leading the Yankees—his Yankees—onto the field for Opening Day.
“One thing that always pops into my head is, literally, I picture us winning it at home,” Judge said. “Packed stadium, Game 6, Yankees. I can just picture myself in right field. It’s the last inning, the ninth inning. Out No. 1, you kind of feel the crowd stir a little bit more. All of a sudden, it’s a ground ball to short, out No. 2.
“I just have that vision in my head for some reason. Just running in and storming the field, dog-piling, the city going crazy. Hopefully some fans run on the field, like in the 1970s. You hear about those things, you dream about those things. Those are the things that get me going.”
62 was history. It was time to get to work.
JUDGE STATISTICS
Home Run Statistics
Player Statistics
62 Scorecard
Aaron Judge’s 2022 Home Runs, Nos. 1-62
Player Statistics
62 Scorecard
Fresno State University
Though Aaron Judge stole twice as many bases (thirty-six) as he hit homers (eighteen) during his three seasons at Fresno State University, there were glimpses of the superstar he would become. “This kid is going to play in the big leagues as long as he wants,” said head baseball coach Mike Batesole.
Arturo Pardavila
The Yankees selected Aaron Judge with the thirty-second overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft, a choice announced by Bud Selig, baseball’s commissioner. The day before the event, held at the MLB Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey, Judge had told a reporter that he was “not sure if I could ever live” in New York.
Arturo Pardavila
Aaron Judge announced his presence on the national stage with a winning performance in the 2017 Home Run Derby at Miami’s Marlins Park. Judge slammed forty-seven balls over the walls, including four jaw-dropping drives of five hundred feet or more. “It was a blast. I enjoyed every minute of it,” he said.
Arturo Pardavila
How popular was the Yankees’ big-swinging right fielder? The club constructed a “Judge’s Chambers” seating area in Yankee Stadium’s Section 104, three rows beyond the right-field wall framed by faux wood paneling and fashioned to fit eighteen lucky fans.
Brad Penner / USA TODAY Sports
Having found his place as one of the game’s biggest stars, Aaron Judge reached new heights early in 2022. Many teammates identified his May 10 walk-off against the Blue Jays as their favorite Judgeian blast. “That’s when I think it became very real,” said DJ LeMahieu.
Dustin Rabin
Aaron Judge connects with a Tim Mayza sinker for his 61st home run on Sept. 28, 2022, tying Roger Maris’s sixty-one-year-old American League record for home runs in a single season. Judge gifted the milestone ball to his mother, Patty, saying, “She’s been with me through it all.”
Credit: Goldin Auctions
Aaron Judge’s 62nd home run ball was caught by Cory Youmans, a thirty-five-year-old Dallas native seated in Section 31, Row 1, Seat 3 of Globe Life Field. Youmans opted to list the ball at auction, where it sold for $1.5 million. “I’d never caught a ball at a game before, let alone a home run ball,” he said.
Bryan Hoch
Aaron Judge celebrated with his family and several trusted associates after belting his 62nd home run in Arlington, a group that included his father, Wayne; mother, Patty; wife, Samantha; and his representatives at PSI Sports, Page Odle and David Matranga.
Bryan Hoch
Aaron Judge and his Yankees teammates celebrated clinching the American League East on September 28, 2022, coming in a 5-2 victory over the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. “What a year it’s been so far; we’re definitely not done, but this is a great first step,” Judge said.
New York Yankees/Getty Images
Having been freshly minted as the sixteenth captain in franchise history, Aaron Judge ventured out to Yankee Stadium’s Monument Park, posing with Roger Maris’s plaque. “Having my name next to someone who’s as great as Roger Maris, it’s incredible,” Judge said.
Ron Jenkins/Getty Images
Aaron Judge hit his 62nd home run of the 2022 season on October 4, 2022, connecting with a 1-1 slider from the Texas Rangers’ Jesús Tinoco. Judge’s blast came off the bat at 100.2 mph and traveled 391 feet, eclipsing Roger Maris’s sixty-one-year-old single-season American League record.
Mary DeCicco/Getty Images
Aaron Judge was honored as the American League’s Most Valuable Player on January 28, 2023, with his hardware presented by Spike Lee at the New York Baseball Writers’ Association awards dinner. Judge said the season showed him that “no matter what you’re trying to accomplish, or anything you’re going through, you’re never alone”—especially in New York.
National Baseball Hall of Fame
Roger Maris hit his 61st home run on October 1, 1961, off Tracy Stallard of the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. The only three players in American League history to hit sixty or more homers in a single season have been Yankees right fielders: Babe Ruth in 1927, Maris in ’61, and Aaron Judge in 2022.
Bryan Hoch
One of the most heartwarming moments of Aaron Judge’s 2022 season came on May 3 in Toronto, when Blue Jays fan Mike Lanzillotta gifted a Judge home run ball to nine-year-old Derek Rodriguez. Judge greeted Lanzillotta, Derek, and his younger brother, Cesar, in the Rogers Centre dugout the next day.
Stockton Record - USA TODAY NETWORK
Raised in Linden, California, Aaron Judge was a standout athlete in high school, starring in baseball, basketball, and football. Several top-flight college football programs pursued Judge as a wide receiver or tight end, but his heart was on the baseball diamond. “I love this game, that little chess match you get to play,” Judge said.
Marly Rivera
Patty Judge, Roger Maris Jr., and Yankees broadcaster Suzyn Waldman share a moment outside the Rogers Centre visiting clubhouse on Sept. 28, 2022, shortly after Aaron Judge hit his 61st home run off the Blue Jays’ Tim Mayza. Maris was impressed by his meetings with the Judges. “You can see the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. The family seems very grounded,” he said.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Aaron Judge couldn’t help but smile.
On the day I approached Judge in front of his Yankee Stadium locker, relaying the news that I was considering writing a book about his historic 62-home-run season, his expression hardly moved. There have been other books previously written about Judge, as you’d expect for an immensely popular star who played his home games in the world’s media capital.
Then I began to explain the concept—this would not be a paint-by-numbers biography, nor a day-by-day recounting of Judge’s performance in an already well-chronicled campaign. It would tell the story of the entire Yankees team—his team—as they navigated the highs and lows of a memorable year in the pinstriped pressure cooker.
It would trace a straight line between three power-hitting Yankees right fielders of vastly different eras—Babe Ruth, Roger Maris, and Aaron Judge—while bringing those long-gone legends’ lives and accomplishments back into modern-day focus.
And to that, Judge flashed that wide, aw-shucks grin; the one I first saw that day at the Oakland Coliseum in 2013, and that fans have come to know and love.
As part of the research for this book, I surveyed most of Judge’s teammates about their favorite moment of the 2022 season, other than No. 62; it was an easy conversation starter, and I was genuinely curious about what would stand out for them, months after the fact. Most pointed to Judge’s walk-off against the Blue Jays on May 10. We had a difference of opinion there.
The snapshot that comes to mind immediately for me isn’t that homer, nor No. 61 in Toronto, or even No. 62 in Texas. No, it’s that September series in Milwaukee.
My lovely wife, Connie, and our wonderful daughters, Penny and Maddie, had taken the family SUV up to Boston for a two-game series against the Red Sox that week. Our schedule was clear for the weekend, and we planned to vacation in New England, a rare break before the craziness of the playoffs. Then Judge hit Nos. 56 and 57 in the series opener at Fenway Park, and my editors at MLB.com wanted me on site in Milwaukee, just in case Judge hit 60, 61, or 62.
No problem; I didn’t want to miss history, either. There was the matter of our car and our kids. Connie volunteered to drive back to New York, and I could have flown out of Boston. But one of the many things I love about this woman, and the family we have created, is that we are always down for a road trip adventure. So while Judge and his teammates were spending their off night seeing Post Malone, the four of us embarked on a casual sixteen-hour road trip across six states, pulling into downtown Milwaukee somewhere around 4:00 a.m.
It was a great trip. We posed for photos with the Bronze Fonz, had the girls reenact the theme song from Laverne & Shirley, and sampled copious amounts of Wisconsin cheddar. The real highlights came later in the weekend; while I worked in the press box, Connie and the kids explored American Family Field. Between innings, Judge tossed Penny (age six) a baseball, and they’d all later have an incredible view as he hit homers Nos. 58 and 59.
Talk about winning fans for life. Twenty years from now, when the residuals from this book are putting Penny and Maddie through college (hey, it could happen), my girls will probably still be talking about that weekend—just as fans in 1961 still recount where they were when Maris went deep off Tracy Stallard. Baseball is incredible at linking generations, allowing fans from the Maris and Mickey Mantle era to celebrate memories and debate points about the Thurman Munson, Don Mattingly, Derek Jeter, and Judge years. I hope this book helps connect some of those dots.
Every baseball season presents new challenges, and we are fortunate to be part of a deep championship roster of All-Stars. To Mom, Dad, Ray, Eileen, Joan, Alex, Allison, Brian, Danna, Ernie, Francesca, Griffin, Harold, Jaclyn, Jacob, Jerri, Julia, Joanna, Joe, Linda, Luca, Raymond, Samantha, Seth, Shawn, Steve, and the rest of the ‘Schwab Mob’: your fingerprints are on these pages. We are thankful for your love and support.
It was a thrill to emcee the New York Baseball Writers’ dinner in January, introducing Judge as the American League’s Most Valuable Player. But my MVP, as always, is Connie. This book could not have been completed without your inspiration, patience, and understanding. I love and appreciate you more than words can express. No one in this world gets me like you. Thank you for reminding me to keep things light and fun as we raced against deadlines; as Bruce Springsteen would say, “Someday we’ll look back on this, and it will all seem funny.”
To Penny and Maddie, each a dazzling Rookie of the Year in your own way. Penny, your sparkling personality is a rare gift, and your zest for life brings us so much joy. Maddie, you possess a warm heart, sharp wit, and infectious laugh, a winning combination that is certain to take you far. Mommy and Daddy will always be proud of you both; we only wish that you were not growing up so fast. You are our moon and stars. We love you.
Thank you to Aaron Judge, Samantha Judge, Patty Judge, and Wayne Judge, for providing one of the most compelling stories in New York sports history.
I am deeply appreciative to to Roger Maris Jr. and Aaron Boone for your contributions of a foreword and preface, respectively.
There would be no book without the numerous New York Yankees players, coaches, and front-office personnel who were interviewed, spanning many hours in person, on the telephone, and Zoom. I hope we faithfully captured your valuable perspectives of a once-in-a-lifetime season. My thanks also to Jason Zillo and the Yankees’ media relations department for your assistance over the years.
Thank you to the broadcasters, reporters, and writers who cover this sport, many of whom are cited in the back of this book. You helped to paint a complete picture of the baseball world in 2022. I would like to recognize my teammates and editors at MLB.com, who are the best in the business. Gregg Klayman, Jim Banks, and Arturo Pardavila were especially supportive.
My terrific colleagues in the Yankee Stadium press box continue to drive and motivate me to perform my best possible work, every day of the year. It is an honor to be challenged by so many excellent professionals, and I value each of our friendships.
Thank you to Stacey Glick and the team at Dystel, Goderich and Bourret, and to Nicholas Ciani and Ifeoma Anyoku at Atria, for your efforts in speeding this book from concept to shelves at an impressive clip. Laura Wise and Rob Sternitzky did an amazing job in the copyediting phase, taking this work to the next level.
Most of all, thank you to the scores of fans around this sport who shared in the drama and excitement of that unforgettable chase for 62. Sure, Judge was the one hitting the homers, but the scope of that experience was greater than any individual—it truly involved all of us, and we will never forget being a part of it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bryan Hoch has covered New York baseball for more than two decades, working the New York Yankees clubhouse as MLB.com’s beat reporter since 2007. He is the author and coauthor of several books, including The Baby Bombers, Mission 27, and The Bronx Zoom. He lives with his wife, Connie, and their daughters, Penny and Maddie. Find out more at Bryan-Hoch.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @BryanHoch.
SimonandSchuster.com
www.SimonandSchuster.com/Authors/Bryan-Hoch
@AtriaBooks @AtriaBooks @AtriaBooks
ALSO BY BRYAN HOCH
The Baby Bombers
Mission 27
The Bronx Zoom
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NOTES
Introduction
“Sixty! Count ’em, sixty!”: Robert W. Creamer, Babe: The Legend Comes to Life (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992), 309.
“While Ruth is undoubtedly the greatest”: “Babe Ruth Accepts Terms of Yankees,” New York Times, January 7, 1920.
“Gee, I’m glad that guy’s”: Bill Francis, “One Hundred Years Later, Sale of Ruth to Yankees Remains Pivotal Point in History,” National Baseball Hall of Fame, https://baseballhall.org/discover/sale-of-ruth-to-yankees-shook-baseball-world. Accessed: March 17, 2023.
“there would have to be some distinctive mark”: Shirley Povich, “Frick’s ‘Asterisk’ Demeaned Maris,” Washington Post, September 7, 1991.
“When I hit 61”: Anthony Rieber, “Roger Maris’ Home Run Chase a Far Cry from Aaron Judge’s Experience,” Newsday, September 17, 2022.
“I had a better year than he did”: Dave Anderson, “Baseball Finance Sets a Gall Standard,” New York Times, February 11, 1990.
“No matter what people want to say”: Tom Verducci, “Inside Aaron Judge’s Season in the Shimmer,” Sports Illustrated, September 13, 2022.
Chapter 1: “OK, Can I Go Out and Play?”
“Remember, we are a star-vehicle town”: John Cassidy, “Yankee Imperialist,” New Yorker, June 30, 2002.
“My greatest accomplishment and achievement”: “Patty Jacob Judge: ‘Life Is Full of Surprises!’ ” HERLIFE Magazine, April 27, 2022, https://www.herlifemagazine.com/centralvalley/inspirations/patty-jacob-judge-life-is-full-of-surprises/.
“We kind of joked that he looked like”: Kevin Kernan, “ ‘Blessed’ Yankees prospect elicits Stargell, Stanton comps,” New York Post, March 11, 2015.
“Aaron has a pretty good compass”: Ibid.
“At one practice, one of the guys said”: Randy Miller, “ ‘Aaron Judge’s Path to Yankees Captain Traces to His Roots; Here Are His Favorite Stories,” NJ Advance Media, March 18, 2015.
“That’s what it’s all about”: Ibid.
“Here we are in the Mother Lode League”: Mike Klocke, “A Linden Legend,” Stockton Record, January 13, 2019.
“Both of them are teachers”: Bob Klapisch, “Yankees’ Aaron Judge Never Forgot His Roots,” Bergen (NJ) Record, June 23, 2017.
“I just put him in the system”: Ian O’Connor, “Former Yankees Scout Tim McIntosh on Aaron Judge: ‘There Was Nothing There,’ ” New York Post, September 21, 2022.
“My dad has always talked about him”: Mike Mazzeo, “Aaron Judge Has a Big Fan in Yankees Great Dave Winfield,” New York Daily News, April 23, 2017.
“I’m like, ‘Who is this six-foot-seven donkey?’ ”: Jake Saldate and Chad Rothford, “Jordan Ribera,” Hit or Die podcast, episode 172, September 13, 2022.
“His freshman year, I’m out there”: Jon Schwartz, “Aaron Everlasting,” Yankees Magazine, March 23, 2020.
