Yankee Stadium was silent that afternoon. There was no pre-game music, no boisterous warm-up. Only Aaron Judge, the captain of the New York Yankees, walked out to the press conference with red eyes, holding an old baseball cap.
“My grandfather passed away this morning. The man who taught me how to hold a glove, how to love baseball, and most importantly – how to be a man.”
Judge said that his grandfather – a US veteran and former Little League coach – was the one who put the first baseball bat in his hands. Despite his advanced age, he never missed a game of his grandson – whether on the radio, on television or quietly sitting in the stands wearing a faded Yankees shirt.
“He always believed I would make it to the MLB. Every time I wanted to quit, he was the first one to pull me back up and say, ‘You’re Judge – and Judges don’t quit.’”
Despite the pain, Judge said he would play as a regular in the next game, because that’s what he wanted to see more than anything else:
“I don’t want to play this game to score runs… but so he can smile from heaven and say, ‘You did great, Aaron.’”
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Soon after the press conference, teammates, coach Aaron Boone, and even longtime rivals like the Boston Red Sox sent their condolences. Many fans suggested leaving an empty seat at Yankee Stadium – where he sat and watched his grandson’s every pitch, every swing, with pride in his eyes.
And today, Judge is not only playing for the Yankees… but also for a greater love – the love of a grandson for the grandfather who raised his dream.