Judge blows Homer 61 to equal Maris record

Aaron Judge breaks his career record 61 at home with the New York Yankees
Toronto (Canada) (AFP) – New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge smashed his 61st career of the season at home on Wednesday to equal Roger Maris’ legendary MLS record.[expander_maker id=”1″ ]

The judge, who has been driving toward Maris’ all-season record, has been stuck 60 times at home after failing Homer in seven straight games and 33 in rackets.

But the 30-year-old powerhouse hitter ended his drought in stunning fashion on Wednesday, crushing 394-foot Homer from two runs in the 3-2 count of Toronto bowler Tim Meeza in the seventh inning to give New York the 5.3 lead.

The record equalizer judge’s blast brought the Rogers Center crowd to their feet in thunderous applause as Yankees players gathered on the house board to congratulate the right-hander as he rolled the bases.

“I was just trying to start a career and achieve something,” Judge said afterwards. “Fortunately I got on the pitch and was able to swing it really well.

“I was hoping you’d get over the fence. I didn’t know at first. It’s an incredible honor. There are so many emotions. It took me a little longer than I wanted it to. But it’s something very special.”

The judge added that he was surprised to receive his teammates on the house board.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” the judge said after the Yankees’ 8-3 win. “You never know what men are going to do.

“But seeing the love from my teammates, who I bring to work with every day, to be able to share that moment with them is hard to describe.”

Aaron Judge is being attacked by his New York Yankees teammates after hitting his 61st home run this season.

“I play a game for the kids. I love these moments. These are the moments you live for,” the judge said.

Yankees legend Maris—whose son Roger Maris Jr. was on hand to watch Homer judge—his MLS record for one season 61 times in the 1961 season.

This record was the best single-season home tally for all of Major League Baseball before it was surpassed multiple times by Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire during baseball’s infamous steroid era in the late 1990s.

Barry Bonds, who was heavily implicated in the infamous BALCO drug scandal, holds the outright one-season record of 73 home races set in 2001.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone believes Judge’s accomplishments this season beat the standards set by the likes of Sosa, McGwire and Bonds.

“I think it puts her a bit higher,” Boone said of Judge’s achievement last week.

“It’s up there with some of the best very short list of all seasons. I go back to the context of the season, and the more I look at it and dive into it, it has to be a great season ever.”

Meanwhile, the judge has distanced himself from suggestions that Homer’s tally deserves to be recognized as the “true” record for all time given the asterisk versus steroid era totals from Sosa, McGwire and Bonds.

“73 is the record in my book,” Judge said in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated.

Judge, who grew up in Northern California as a Bonds fan, added, “No matter what people want to say about that baseball era, they went out there and hit 73 Homers and that to me is the record” and the Giants.[/expander_maker]