A shocking turn of events shook the MLB fraternity a couple of weeks ago. The New York Yankees were visiting Canada to face the Toronto Blue Jays in a four-game series. However, things took an ugly turn during the series opener itself. The Yankees captain, Aaron Judge, was caught at the center of the entire controversy, which apparently tainted his image as a respectable baseball player.
It all started when Yankees manager, Aaron Boone, got tossed for protesting a strike call against the captain Aaron Judge. The Bronx Bombers’ dugout was displeased with the call and started chirping to heckle the plate umpire. The captain at the plate was left irked by the chirping and glanced at the dugout to catch the boys involved in the act. Little did he know that the very glance would land him in a huge mess.
MLB Umpires Justifies Aaron Judge’s Infamous Glance At The Yankees Dugout
The Blue Jays broadcasters displayed Aaron Judge’s glance on the big screens in slow motion and leveled wild accusations. They claimed that Judge was trying to cheat and was even attempting to steal signs. However, the Blue Jays were caught in their own web of lies when their own pitcher admitted to tipping the pitches, which proved the captain’s innocence. The smear campaign against Aaron Judge did not work out well for the Blue Jays, as they failed to win the series.
Aaron Judge, on the other hand, explained his side. He said he remained unhappy with the boys chirping at the umpire. He glanced to know the players involved in the act so that he could have a talk with them afterward. Now, a veteran MLB umpire has come forward to defend Judge’s actions. He claimed that the Yankees captain had done such things before also. He simply intended to send a message to his teammates to let him fight his own battles. The at-bat was his, and if the slugger had any issues with the umpire’s decision-making, he was man enough to tackle those all by himself. The slugger’s teammates had no part to play. They just ended up disrupting Judge’s concentration. Regardless, the whole controversy died down soon as the Blue Jays failed to produce any substantial proof.
Signing Aaron Judge For $360 Million Looks Like A Bargain Deal For The Yankees
Star slugger Aaron Judge became the most expensive position payer in the history of the league when he signed a $360 million contract with the New York Yankees this off-season. Apparently, the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres were willing to offer nearly $400 million to the slugger, but his loyalty brought him back to New York. Meanwhile, the current stats suggest that the Yankees might have gotten a little lucky with Judge’s signing.
During the off-season, players such as Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts, and Carlos Correa went for big bucks. However, none of them have performed to their full potential. On the other hand, Aaron Judge is leading the league with a .630 slugging percentage and 1.032 OPS. The slugger even remains at the top of the offensive charts despite missing out 10 days due to injuries. Hence, the Yankees should consider themselves lucky to have received a player of Judge’s caliber in a cheap deal.