In the New York Yankees’ 7-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, Aaron Judge shed some light on a moment during the game when he glanced into his own dugout before hitting a mammoth 462-foot home run. According to Judge, his intention was to identify which of his teammates was engaged in a lively exchange with plate umpire Clint Vondrak at that moment. However, what caught Judge’s attention was the “chirping” coming from his own dugout, which he admitted he did not appreciate in that particular situation.
At the time of his home run, the Yankees were already leading comfortably with a 6-0 scoreline. Just three pitches earlier, Vondrak had ejected Yankees manager Aaron Boone for arguing a low strike call to Judge. Boone had emerged from the dugout to express his frustration to both Vondrak and crew chief James Hoye. It was during this heated moment that Judge momentarily looked towards his dugout before unleashing a powerful 114.9 mph shot off right-hander Jay Jackson.
The incident did not go unnoticed by the Blue Jays’ broadcasters, who speculated that Judge might have been searching for some sort of signal from his teammates. Blue Jays manager John Schneider found it rather unusual for a hitter to direct his attention towards the dugout in such a manner.
However, Judge clarified that he was not seeking any signals and instead explained that some of his teammates were still voicing their displeasure even as he stepped up to bat. He felt that after the manager had made his case, it was important for the team to focus on the game and the task at hand. Judge addressed the issue with his teammates during and after the game, expressing his hope that such distractions would not occur again.
Boone, understanding Judge’s frustration with the distraction from the dugout, acknowledged that Judge was simply trying to emphasize that it was his turn to bat.
In addition to his 462-foot home run, Judge also hit another solo homer in the game, bringing his season total to 10. This marked his third multihomer game of the year and the 30th of his career. Notably, Judge has had considerable success against the Toronto Blue Jays, with a total of 30 home runs against them, second only to his 35 home runs against the Baltimore Orioles.
Overall, Judge’s explanation provides insight into the dynamics within the team and highlights the importance of maintaining focus and unity during critical moments of the game.