It was like a Sunday morning at church. We all stood and became silent for the prayer, with two exceptions. It wasn’t a prayer, and we were at a baseball game.
Everyone waited for history to happen Monday night, but it didn’t. Each time Aaron Judge strode to the plate, the crowd rose in hushed anticipation, and each time the disappointed crowd sat back down. Judge went 1 for 4, with no home run.
Everyone watched for history to happen in the first game of a doubleheader Tuesday afternoon, the crowd got antsy, but alas the ball never sailed over the fence. Judge went 1 for 5. The fans grumbled as they left the stands at the end of the game, “Maybe he won’t do it!” “The record could stay tied at 61 homers!” “Can you imagine the pressure on him?”
Surely it would happen in the night game of the doubleheader. Surely one of his possible 4 at-bats would crank that tater over the fence. Surely history would greet a new American League Home Run Champion.
The ballpark was packed with 38,832 Texas Rangers fans and a beaucoup of New York Yankee fans Tuesday night. All screamed and awaited that 62nd home run that would put Aaron Judge in the MLB record books. The ballpark grew quiet. Fans stood and held their cameras high to get just the right angle for a picture that might be passed down in their family for several generations. Aaron Judge, the leadoff hitter for the Yankees, slowly walked to the plate. He greeted the Home Plate umpire and the Rangers’ catcher. He took a deep breath and planted his feet. He stared at the pitcher, Jesus Tinoco. The first pitch was a 95 mph fastball for Ball 1. The second pitch was an 88 mph slider for a called strike. Judge took a breath adjusted his batting glove and helmet, then stepped back into the batter’s box.
The third pitch was another 88 mph slider, but Aaron Judge connected. Maybe the force of his bat carried the ball over the fence, or maybe it got some lift from the roars and screams of everyone in Globe Life Field. In any event, he homered over the left field fence and into baseball history past Roger Maris’ 61-yer old home run record.
