He’s finally done it.
Aaron Judge, who’d been stuck on home run No. 60 for a seeming eternity, finally, inevitably, hit No. 61 Wednesday night, tying Roger Maris for the all-time American League record.
As with most of Judge’s home runs, there was no doubt about this shot, a two-run shot in the seventh inning off Toronto Blue Jays reliever Tim Mayza.
It’s worth noting the ball landed in the bullpen area, preventing what would have undoubtedly been a wild scramble in the grandstands among fans looking to cash in on the valuable collectible.
Since hitting home run No. 60 on Sept. 20, the New York Yankees star had gone seven games without a home run. That prompted Barry Bonds, who holds the all-time home run record of 73, to say that No. 61 would be the hardest for Judge.
“Trying to get to that 61 is the hardest one,” Bonds told the San Francisco Chronicle. “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, I think that’s the hardest one.”
Twitter wasted no time in paying tribute to the Yankees slugger.
Judge has seven more games to break Maris’ AL and Yankees record.
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.