All rise for Aaron Judge, the big slugger and bigger man

As the nation watched Judge chase the home-run record, we have seen in him qualities we want our kids to emulate: patience, humility and a leader who lifts those around him.

ALL RISE is a catchphrase for Aaron Judge, the Yankee outfielder who just broke the single season home run record for Major League Baseball’s American League, passing both Babe Ruth who hit 60 in 1927, and Roger Maris who hit 61 in 1961. Judge made it to 62 home runs Tuesday night at the Texas Rangers stadium in Arlington. I rose myself as I watched the record-breaking blast to left field, jumping up and dancing around my living room with the biggest smile, hoops, and hollers that I remember in quite some time! I have never watched so many straight Yankees games in my life, as I am certainly not a Yankees fan. ( Go Nats and my hometown Tigers!)

But we have never in our baseball lives seen so many fans in many stadiums standing up to watch every swing of Aaron Judge’s bat as he was getting closer and closer to this remarkable record. 

And I believe that Aaron Judge has lifted baseball, and sports in general, like we also haven’t seen for a while. This ultimate superstar towers over all of baseball with more than his 6’7” height, but by also taking baseball to some new heights himself. 

Here is what I mean. Everyone who knows Judge and watches him carefully, from his coaches, veteran commentators and, most of all his fellow players, tell us what a team player Aaron Judge is. In all of sports, the best players are not always, even not often, the best teammates and team leaders. And I will testify that is true all the way from Little League baseball, where I coached for 11 years and 22 seasons; through travel and high school ball, to college athletics, and perhaps especially in the major leagues.

I was very taken by what happened after Judge rounded the bases after his 62nd home run and, which must have been with such great relief, finally put his foot down crossing home plate to make the record. His whole team was joyously waiting for him on the field and Judge hugged everyone of them – one by one, individually with words and emotions – before he waved to the crowd and took the massive public accolades. 

I couldn’t help remembering an earlier recent game when Judge didn’t get a hoped for home run, but a young player on the other team got a walk-off winning hit against the Yankees. He then ran all over the field, by himself,  with his hands in the air, and pointing to himself while yelling “This is my house!” over and over again. I won’t name him, because he is still young and his behavior is quite normal after the big hit in baseball or big play in football, the big score in basketball, soccer, hockey or any sport, when the winning hero runs around beating his chest, doing his dance, raises his fists, lifting up his arms – and himself – after their great accomplishment. 

When I saw that ode to self happening, I just knew that Aaron Judge would never do that. And he never does. Instead, Judge loves his team and wants to do whatever he can to help them win, and has shown that time after time: in accepting the walk to get on base, getting the hits that aren’t home runs (he has  the best batting average for a home run slugger in many years, comparing to players like Henry Aaron and Willie Mays), or doing the new thing he loves to do most now with one of the biggest bodies in baseball – steal bases! Many sluggers would worry about hurting themselves on the slide. In such sharp contrast to the theatrics of many other players, watching Judge take the time to hug his every teammate and seeing the deep connections between them, before his doing everything else, was something to behold.

Aaron Judge was adopted when he was two days old, is bi-racial and,  as one of his coaches says, has the temperament to create his consistency. And he credits everything about how he was raised to his family. His mother, especially, became a part of Aaron Judge’s home run race story as she was there for the world to see at everyone of her son’s games over these last final weeks. And in a class act, Roger Maris Jr. was often sitting alongside her in the stands, paying tribute to his Dad and welcoming this transition to a new record breaker. Seeing their relationship growing was fun to watch as was her deep sense of relief the world could see when he finally got 62 – as every parent can understand. Aaron says warmly that he was raised, not in her belly, but in her heart. His pointing or waving to her at critical moments was lovely to watch. He even spoke with deep gratitude about all the Little League practices and games his parents took him to over so many years and patiently watched and waited.

That certainly struck a familiar note with me and Joy, who recall that regular pilgrimage with our two sons, Luke and Jack, who both took their baseball playing all the way to college – and still going on for the younger one!

Sports writer, Tom Verducci, whose son plays with our son on the baseball team at Haverford College, wrote a great article about Aaron Judge, analyzing hitting in an expert way that any serious baseball follower will love to read, and pointing to two things I love most about the big slugger and bigger man. First, about how winning for the team prevails for Judge over his own record making. 

Verducci writes:

“Ask Judge how he wants this season to end, and he will talk about not his final tally of home runs, but whether the Yankees will win the World Series. ‘I want to be a World Series champion,’ he says. ‘Not only once, but twice, three times if I can—as many times as I get a chance.’

The Verducci went back to Little League, the kids who are the other baseball players on Aaron Judge’s mind and heart. He wrote about what Judge wants in addition to winning for his team:

“There is something else he wants. This wish of his is apparent on the television monitors that hang from the ceiling of the Yankees’ clubhouse. They are in full view from Judge’s locker. On an August afternoon he can see the faces of Little Leaguers, which are the faces of hope, looking for someone or something to follow. He is moved to hear how many of them regard Aaron Judge as their favorite player, and how many of them wear his number.

‘It really hit me the type of impact I’ve had when I started seeing Little Leaguers wearing 99,’ he says. ‘I didn’t see too many 99s when I was growing up. I saw a lot of number 2s, but not too many 99s.

‘Seeing that, and seeing this little kid in Kentucky, or in New York, in Florida, in California . . . they’re watching every single thing you do. Every little thing you say. It puts it in perspective. Do the right things, play the game the right way and hopefully you inspire one of those kids to do the right thing in 10, 15 years when they’re in your spot.’”

There’s a great idea – athletes as role models for our sons and daughters. It is something said all the time, but often not lived up to in the ways sports stars behave on and off the field. (And that goes for politics and entertainment as well.) Instead, you often want to cover your kid’s eyes and ears and tell them “Don’t be like that. You don’t want to grow up and be like them.”

Instead, Aaron Judge and the way he lives his life, both on the field and off, tells a better story. The nation learned more about Judge as we rose up to watch his home run drive, we have seen things we want your kids to see and do and even grow up to become. The message here is simple and clear: Be centered, be patient, be humble, work hard and do your best, be a good teammate and a good leader by serving other people. Even try to put those around you first, instead of just yourself. And with all that, you will find the most meaningful and satisfying relationships with family, friends, teammates, co-workers, and neighbors – with hugs all around.