NFL
By Billy Lewis:
Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees are heading to Yankee Stadium for their penultimate home series of the 2022 season. Aaron Judge enters this series against the Pirates with 59 home runs. Of course, the American League record is 61 home runs set by Roger Maris in 1961.
Maris’ record was the Major League Record when he beat Babe Ruth’s 1927 record of 60 home runs. When Maris broke Ruth’s record, the commissioner at the time, Ford Frick, added an asterisk to the record. The asterisk was added because Maris had 162 games to break the record, while Ruth had 154 games.
Baseball’s home run record isn’t a stranger to the asterisk. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were going back and forth in the summer of 1998 chasing Maris’ record. McGwire would break the record by being the first to 62 home runs. Both would end up surpassing 61 home runs as McGwire finished with 70 home runs while Sosa ended with 66.
Just a short three years later, Barry Bonds would come to surpass both players by hitting the new record, 73 home runs in 2001. Bonds would also set the career record finishing with 762 home runs, seven more than Hank Aaron’s 755. Due to the alleged steroid use of Bonds, McGwire, and Sosa many fans put an unofficial asterisk next to their records.
Aaron Judge Historic 2022
When the Yankees host the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight, it will be their 147th game. Judge sitting at 59 home runs puts history on the docket. Judge has 11 multi-home run games to his credit in 2022. If he were to have his twelfth multi-home run day, it could be on a record-setting night.
Entering game 147, Judge has a chance to beat Ruth’s 60 home runs before game 154. Judge’s 59 home runs are 20 more than Kyle Schwarber’s 39. The last time a player ended the season with 20 or more home runs to their closest competitor, was Ruth in 1928 when his 54 home runs were 23 more than Jim Bottomley’s 31 home runs.
Judge has been much more than a home run hitter. In the era of the three true outcomes (strikeout, walk, home run) Judge is an all-around hitter. He’s cruising to the American League home run and RBI lead, while also within striking distance of the AL batting title. Entering Tuesday night Judge sits in third place for the batting title. Luis Arraez leads at .317, with Xander Bogaerts and Judge right behind him at .316. With 16 games to go, Judge finds himself with a realistic chance to win the AL Triple Crown.
The Yankees have two games against the Pirates, before hosting the Red Sox for four games. If you’re a fan with tickets during this homestand, you can be in attendance for history in the making.
