Aaron Judge’s mom Patty Judge was sitting behind the Yankees dugout in Toronto for three straight nights, waiting on pins and needles, hoping her son would make history. The wait ended on Wednesday night, and she finally got to give her son a celebratory hug.
Judge and his mom shared a touching embrace outside of the visitors’ clubhouse in Toronto after No. 99 hit No. 61 in the seventh inning to tie Roger Maris’ Yankees and American League record for home runs in a season.
Judge also was greeted by Roger Maris. Jr, who was sitting next to Patty throughout the three-game series and hugged her after Judge’s 61st homer.
“I’m nothing without my family,” Judge said in a YES Network interview after the Yankees defeated the Blue Jays. “They mean the world to me. They’re the reason that I’m here, the reason that I’m the person that I am. Getting to share this moment with my mom, and trying to give a little nod to Roger Maris Jr. It means a lot that he shows up here, too. Looking forward to taking it back home.”
Patty, along with Judge’s dad Wayne and his wife Samantha, watched together in The Bronx as Judge chased Maris’ record, and Patty represented the family up north. She told the YES Network that she called her son’s home run before he stepped to the plate in the seventh inning.
The Blue Jays pitched Judge carefully throughout the series, and his mom was clearly exasperated Monday night when Toronto intentionally walked her son in the 10th inning, shaking her head. But the trip to Canada ended up being well worth it.
And now, the Judges will reconvene at Yankee Stadium on Friday as Aaron goes for the record-breaking No. 62.
