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Mary RiveraESPN Writer
The US National Championship has a king running at home for a new season.
New York Yankees star Aaron Judge his 62nd home game debut of the season on Tuesday on the road against Texas Rangersbroke the AL record he shared with Roger Maris.
After sending money Tim Mayza sink in Toronto Blue Jays bullpen to mark Maris’ milestone last Wednesday, Judge didn’t run home in the final game of the Yankees regular season – a three-game series against Baltimore Orioles. Back on track, Judge, who won 2 to 9 with two singles in two sets against Rangers through Game 1 of Tuesday’s doubles, knocked out the Texas pitcher. Jesus Tinoco deep into the first inning of the night game to place 62nd.
Remember where you were when #AaronJudge made history. 6️⃣2️⃣ #All increase pic.twitter.com/w4kbDJf5ZC
– MLB (@MLB) October 5, 2022
“It’s great to hit it at home in front of the home fans, but at the end of the day I have a job to do,” Judge said on Sunday.
The record-setting Homer comes three days after the 61st anniversary of Maris overtaking the legendary Babe Ruth with her 61st home run.
“It’s an honor to be given the opportunity to be associated with Maris,” Judge said Wednesday after he was forever linked to the Yankees legend as the only player in the franchise’s history to hit the mark. 61 times going home. “I can’t even describe it. It’s an honor to know what Maris did in this match. To have a chance to draw with Roger Maris, that’s what you dream of.”
Only Barry Bonds (73), Mark McGwire (70, 65) and Sammy Sosa (66, 64, 63) are ahead of Judge on MLB’s one-season home run list. But while Judge holds the AL record, Maris’ son, Roger Maris Jr., said this week that he believes Judge should be recognized as the true “home run king”.
Maris’ mark was the all-time MLB record until McGwire surpassed it by hitting the 70 mark in 1998. Bonds surpassed McGwire in 2001, with baseball’s official in-season record of 73 home run. But Maris Jr downplayed the achievements of the two hunters, who achieved their feat in what is known as the steroid age.
“He plays the game the right way,” Maris Jr said of Judge earlier this week. “And I think it gives people a chance to see someone who deserves to be honored for hitting 62 runs at home, and not just a guy who did it in the American League, but also a one-season home running real-time champion. That’s him. He’s 62 years old, and I think that’s what has to happen.”
Judge, who grew up about half an hour east of San Francisco as a Giants fan, has said he believes the Bonds’ 73 home ground is the right mark of a season.
New York manager Aaron Boone said he feels privileged to be in the front row in baseball history.
“The history of this game is one of its calling cards,” said Boone. “The number 61. I’ve known about that number all my life. I think one thing that makes our sport special than others, is the history of it all. We did a great job. And this has been a year and a season where we’re in the midst of one of those magical historical moments, and that’s tied to a number. And that’s pretty neat.”
The Yankees will enter the post-season as the 2nd seed in the US Championship. They will wrap up the regular season on Wednesday in Texas.
