Last September, when Aaron Judge hit his 62e circuit of the season, we felt all the pressure he had on his shoulders suddenly drop. He had the look of a marathon runner completely drained by his journey.
He was clearly exhausted and in series, it came to catch up with him. After enjoying one of the most incredible seasons in history, what will be the expectations for the next year? One thing is certain, Judge has set the bar very high.
In an interview with John Heyman of the New York Post, Roger Maris Jr. discussed what awaits the new Yankees captain. After all, he saw his father go through the same experience after his record-breaking 1961 season.
In 1962, Maris Sr. hit just 33 long pitches, but his team won a second straight World Series. His son says he approached this season by lowering his expectations of himself and focusing on winning. According to him, Judge should do the same.
Roger Maris and Aaron Judge did not receive the same treatment from fans. Maris was booed because they didn’t consider him worthy of surpassing the great Babe Ruth, while Judge received all the love in the world for his quest.
However, in the end, it is the victory that counts. If the Yankees don’t win, the big 99 will suffer the wrath of the crowd. And this, regardless of the statistics he puts on the board.
