Judge’s 62nd hR Different Perspective
 

First of all, I am a Yankee hater. I don’t care how many hrs Judge hits. For me it is Maris as the true hr king. When Maris had his fabulous year, people forget that he was in a battle with Mantle. Everyone was against him, the fans and the press. Talk about pressure. No one wanted him to beat Ruth and if some one had to do it was Mantle. I think that in that last game, only several thousand people were in attendance. I could be wrong but it wasn’t a sell out. After his feat, he began to lose his hair because of the aniexty and pressure. Fast forward to today. There was no pressure on Judge. He’d had the fans and media bootlicking his every move.. this is my opinion. Having lived through that epic battle in 1961, hats off to Maris. PS. I didn’t want either of them to break the record. I had always hoped that Killebrew would do it.

For me it is 62 home runs in 154 games to be the real record.

...

Is it fair to say he's not under pressure? He's both in the midst of of hitting 62 home runs, trying to win the triple crown, and planning his next move after he becomes a free agent.

He bet on himself the whole season. How can you say he's not under any pressure? He performed under a massive amount of pressure.

Being "pressured" as a baseball player fulfilling a dream most of us could never realize in a million years is a first world problem, if you ask me. Big deal.

Personally, I'm not going to be impressed until somebody hits 80 HR's with a wiffle ball bat, while blind-folded with their back facing the pitcher in the batters box.

.....and they have to get it done by the All-Star break.

It's what the Babe would have done in the modern pansy ass game we call "baseball". ;)

I don't think that's what he meant. It's a different type of pressure when people actively hate you rather than cheer you. All athletes are under pressure to live up to expectations.

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Are you talking about being a professional baseball player at all or being Aaron Judge? The majority of professional baseball players don't reach the major leagues, leave without any savings, and forego education for a chance to play. Seems like a lot of pressure to me.

Expectations are one thing but Judge bet on himself and it was up to him to make that a wise bet or not. He performed in a way no one could have seen coming. That's living up to pressure.

Roger Maris was an established star at the time, and Aaron Judge has earned millions of dollars. To me whatever pressure they were under to hit home runs is a joke relative to the real life pressures on countless millions.

Maybe you should look into Judge's life story a little more. I would not call him a fortunate person.

I didn't say he hasn't hat problems, and they may indeed be real sources of pressure in his life despite his wealth. My point is that the pressure of the home run race is illusory. A construct by sports writers and fans seeking drama.

The pressure of the race you're talking about can't materialize until baseball puts an asterisk next to Bonds. Hitting 62 home runs is a feat but he was never on pace for 74.

Well the supposed pressure on Maris is always played up, unless like Aaron he was getting death threats I would question that too.

Not sure if you're being serious, but if you are, then shouldn't it be 61 home runs in 154 games since Ruth only hit 60?

So Judge hit 61 in less than 154 games and 62 in less than 162. Seems pretty clear to me he is the AL single season HR King no matter how you slice it. Good for Him and LET'S GO YANKEES!!!
As for Everybody rooting against Maris I was born in 61 I have a cousin named Roger. Most of the Yankee fans in my family were against the * next to Maris's record. Outside the stadium they sold buttons that said either I am for Mickey or I am for Roger. Now I know they sold more Mickey buttons but they sold a bunch of Roger pins as well.

No I think he had 60 through game 154.

Aaron Judge through Game 154 of 2022: 60 HR
Team Game 154: 9/25 — 0-for1, 4 BB

No 62 in 154 as Ruth had 60 in 154 and Maris had 61 in 154.

To make it apples to apples then Judge needed 62 in 154 to break it. He's now still the leader but does it deserve the dreaded asterisk?

I’m a Red Sox fan but jeez Judge is awesome and he seems to be a class act. Great story and I tip my cap to the guy.

Maris had 58 through game 154.

Huh???

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Let's get the facts straight.
Through 154 games:
Ruth 60
Judge 60
Maris 58

Through 162 games assuming Judge hits no more:
Judge 62
Maris 61

Read some of the newspapers in 1961. Just google them. Maris was certainly receiving death threats.

Ok. Then I imagined need it.

I would think the adoring fans, media and no close competition is na little less pressure compared to the later.

I did not realize that. The pressure mentioned earlier in the thread was that of fans not wanting him to break the record, or preferring Mantle. If he was getting death threats that's legitimate pressure.

My bad Pete Judge hit 61 game 155. So you are correct only 60 in 154. And almost everyone knows that Maris hit 61 last day of season Oct 1 1961.
J

You could argue that several records have asterisks. The reason is today's players play more games each season, which, in turn, means they have more opportunities to accumulate career statistics.

The AL went from playing 154 games to 162 in 1961, and the NL made the change in 1962. From the 1890s through the early 1960s, each league played 154 games a year.

Accordingly, pre-1961 (AL) and pre-1962 (NL) players had 8 games less each season to accumulate career statistics than more modern day players.

Ty Cobb played 24 years. This equates to 192 lost games (24 years x 8 games a season). Cobb averaged over 174 hits a year. Adding just his seasonal average to his hit total would easily give him more hits than Pete Rose.

So, 8 additional games each season doesn't sound like a lot, but it adds up over a 20+ year career.

Ruth and Cobb played in an all-white league, did not have to play at night or deal with all the time zone changes, I think it probably all evens out more or less.

Any pressure on Judge seems to me to have been put on himself. I saw his deciding to test the FA market as a gamble at the time, especially given his spotty health history. But man, did he make the right choice! I wonder, has there ever been a baseball FA who decided to take this kind of gamble in the past and had it work out as well as Judge has? So many stories where it played out in the opposite way...

No pressure on Judge? Seriously?

Seriously. What happens if he doesn't break the record, he's worth a few million less? Oh my God, how unthinkable.

For me, the REAL home record is Ned Williamson's 1884 record of 27.

Because, if you're going to be arbitrary about things, it's best to REALLY DO IT UP! :D

Babe Ruth haz Cars and Planes and Penicillin and Indoor Plumbing.

Ned Williamson had to deal with dirt playing fields filled with manure and pot holes, dysentery, traveling to road games by horse or on foot, and the basic misunderstanding that Opium and Blood-letting were performance enhancers.

:eek:

Your post made me picture the old "Oregon Trail" video game. I smiled. :D

Judge will get $40 Million a year and a 8 year contract. Yankees had their chance now the Redsox will swoop in.. Dude had an amazing year and timing is everything..

Boston needs pitching above all else. Oh wait, Chris Sale will be back to collect umpteen million and then be hurt for the season after three starts by gripping his steering wheel too tightly or something.

You have convinced me.

This. The amount of arbitrary and after the fact qualifications being put in to produce the outcome people want the outcome to be instead of the actual outcome is a little ridiculous. We all know what the actual record is. Doesn’t mean I like it, but it is what it is.

I can appreciate those difficulties, BUT . . . Babe Ruth is still the true king. He hit homers over 450+ foot fences, for crying out loud. Everyone here should get a copy of the book, "The Year Babe Ruth hit 104 Home Runs." During the 1921 season, his pattern of batted balls would have accounted for over 100 homers in modern ballparks and under modern rules. That year, Ruth hit a 500+ foot home run in every American League park he visited, and, of course, hit more 450+ foot shots than anyone in history. The author (Bill Jenkinson) performed in-depth statistical analysis to make a fair comparison of the conditions under which the game was played in Ruth's era and baseball as it's played today.

I don't think you're far off on what he gets. I don't think (hope) he gets it from the Red Sox. I'd put the chances at him returning to the Yankees at 75% personally.

I also don't think the contract is going to be a good one for the team. He's already had plenty of injury issues, and that doesn't usually get better after age 30.

Fun fact: There have been 5 players who have hit 61 or more home runs in a single season. None are in the Hall of Fame. If Judge is to make it, he's got a lot of work to do. He's got a shot, for sure, but lots of work.

Also, I think at least one of the other guys gets there before Judge is retired.

OOps forgot AL went to 162 games in 61 while NL didn't go to 162 until 62... :o

Interesting. did not know this fact. Huge "what if"..

How many other baseball seasonal records get a * and different record holders for different number of games played? Hits? Strikeouts? Triples?? Wins by a team??? Wins by a pitcher???

Throw out the *s and the game counting - this is a record for a season, however MLB defines a season in that year. Like it or not, Judge now holds the AL record. Alone. No *. No explanation needed.

I'm feeling you, I think the true home run King is the Ape that threw the bone in the air during the opening scene of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey

One of the great uses of music in a movie scene for sure. Brilliant.

What about Sosa and Maggie?

I think if the * was applied to Maris it should be applied to Judge.
I am not saying I am in favor of it I just see a double standard there. Neither beat Ruth in 154 games.

Lots to like about the young man, his family, character etc. I don't like the Yankees but have found him hard to dislike.

Finally, I appreciate the posts on career statistics. I think the addition of expanded rounds of playoffs also skews career totals. But it is what it is and I am looking forward to coming home early from work tomorrow and watching baseball all day :)

If the Red Sox had signed Kingman that one time.... you might have seen at least part of that.

There is no asterisk next to Maris's record. It was removed in 1991.

First of all, I hate Yankee haters. I do care how many Judge hits and I was happy to see him break the record (I was at the Blue Jays game where he tied the record). Not sure how you can say Maris is still the true HR king - last I checked Maris hit 61 in 163 games - a great season and something that stood for 61 years. But it's time we stop yelling at traffic lights and move on. :)

I agree with the Yankee hating. It’s a valid position that keeps me going, simply because there are far too many Yankee fans out there, and they’ve achieved way more success than anyone else in the game. I’ll admit to being jealous when they succeed, coupled with a solid dose of schadenfreude whenever they struggle. They’re due for a nice 100-year drought, although I won’t live long enough to see it.

I don’t understand the notion that Maris is still the king. That just seems silly all around. Any way you slice it, Maris is no longer on top. He was the man for a long time, but his reign is officially over, whether since 1998 or 2022, take your pick. And if you want to argue that Maris was never the man because it took more than 154 games to top 60, then there’s that angle as well.

I do think there’s room to debate how big of a deal it is for Judge to hit 62, particularly since he didn’t get to 61 before game 155. For me, I’m not seeing the attraction to making it a big deal. It’s a nice deal, and I certainly appreciate his accomplishments, but that’s about it. But if it gets your heart beating fast and gives you a jolt of endorphins, then who am I to tell you that you’re silly for getting excessively worked up about something that doesn’t seem that important to me, particularly since I’m sure that many of the sporting accomplishments that get me excited are probably largely ignored by most everyone else.

Read again. It’s all about pressure. PS. I hate Yankee fans who hate Yankee haters.

+62

Right on!! -- Brian Powell

I for one am sure not ignoring it! SIXTY-TWO HOME RUNS is freaking awesome! Aaron Judge is clean as a whistle, a very nice guy, very close to his parents, and a lot of etcetras. Come on, he broke THE major league record that had stood for 61 years.

I know all the guys that have yelped til they're hoarse that Bonds, McGwire, and Sosa hit more, and Bonds has the official MLB record, and so on, ad nauseum.

But they cheated. They took PEDS til they exploded in size and strength. Their numbers exploded, and many collectors are still all "ga-ga" over those numbers. Maybe MLB says those contemptible characters have the legitimate records, but the people who vote to enshrine the right people in the Baseball Hall of Fame have for years steadfastly refused to put those cheaters in.

One of them, Mark McGwire, finally confessed that he had juiced up with PEDS.

It's a shame this board is mired with so many skeptics and cynics towards the achievements of Aaron Judge. There's even debate over whether Ohtani or Judge should win the AL MVP. Aaron Judge should be the unanimous choice as AL MVP. I take the term valuable as valuable, not best player. Aaron wasn't the only Yankee that contributed to their 99 wins, but I say without Judge they would have crumbled in mediocrity. That's just my opinion, sure; regardless, I know I'm right probably just as much as Judge's naysayers or poison pens think they're actually right. So I say, and I'll say a thousand times----WHAT AARON JUDGE DID MOST ASSUREDLY IS A BIG DEAL!

HOO-RAY FOR AARON JUDGE. HE BEAT THE ODDS. HE BUSTED ROGER MARIS'S 61-EAR-OLD RECORD!!!!!:D

--- Brian Powell

CORRECTION: Broke the A.L. record.

History Lesson
 

Just for the record, Maris hit his 59th in game 154.
And he hit another ball to the warning track and another one foul as I recall (I just googled it to be sure).
There was enormous pressure on him, and it was a valiant effort.
I remember commemorating it on the top of a page in my high school history text as I was doing my homework.

You're correct, Shoeless Moe. Aaron Judge broke the A.L. home run record. I sit corrected, though I must say it is as some argued that Mr. Maris still held the MLB record of 61, while the others juiced their way past The Rajah. I'm sure the PEDS argument will never go away. Whether or not the BWAA will let down their guard and vote in Bonds, Sosa, or McGwire to the BBHOF remains to be seen, but I seriously doubt they will. So much for their sky-high record numbers.;) Have a swell weekend, bro. -- Brian Powell

Just out of curiosity, if he hits 63 for the Mets next year, will you celebrate even more?

Hey when you speak of the hitters don't forget there were plenty of pitchers using them as well Clemens, Petitte, etc.

So it was Roids vs Roids........a wash.

73 is the one and only single season HR record.

Congrats to Mr Judge on breaking the AL record.

I for one do not bgrudge Aaron Judge. My point was I do not think he or any other player could perform as well as Maris had they been put under the same pressure. My answer is no.

I will celebrate him even more when he hits 63 for Baltimore next year! Sorry he won’t sign for the Sox or Mets!!!!

Agree with Peter and Tony there was ZERO pressure on Judge this year.

That was a stupid comment by whoever said it and if anyone agreed with it.

He was playing baseball for basically 25-30-40 Million a season in his future and sure wasn't hurting going in.

Completely different times from Maris and Aaron, now that was pressure.

For the most part other than closers there really isn't pressure in baseball, until the Playoffs and World Series.

The bizarre part to me is that while Ohtani and Judge are going to make 30-40 mill a year, someone like Charlie Morton (a textbook definition of replaceable, and getting old and regressing no less) is getting 20 million next year.

I wouldn't think that Morton is worth 5% of those other two guys to a franchise, much less more than half

Are you kidding? I hate the Mets. I hope he doesn't leave the Yankees. I would imagine the Yanks will make him an offer he can't refuse. Money doesn't make you happy, anyway. Obviously, you need plenty to live in the USA, and especially in NYC. Who would want to leave his teammates and fans that adore him? It's been done, of course, usually due to greed, but in the end----the player almost always wishes he had just stayed put. That's my nickel pack's worth.;) --- Brian Powell

Well said, Tony. The pressure on Roger Maris was excruciating. I got interested in cards in 1961, at age 7. I was happy for Roger Maris. Sure, I really knew nothing about baseball history, and so on. Come next spring, all I knew was that I wanted the card of Roger Maris more than any other.

Anyways, as I got older, I came to have more and more respect and admiration for Roger Maris. I tried to get his tougher cards, and with God's help, I did. Regardless of what Aaron Judge has done, and I love and am proud of Judge, I will always love Roger Maris, too. He got the record when I was 7. I'm now 68, and the record has finally been officially broken, and it's great. Aaron Judge deserved it. I'm glad he did not have to face the CONSTANT pressure, scrutiny, and immature, petty, and outright hatred of so many people that Roger did.

I don't mind having several guys to collect, but at my age, I can only allow myself a few. For one thing, my son has absolute no interest in my baseball and hockey card collections. That's ok; I helped him with all my might in what HE was interested in----Sonic the Hedgehog, and Detective Conan Edogawa.

Well, I'm getting verbose---again. Take care, my fellow collecting warrior.:)

--- Brian Powell

All time single season home run leaders within a 162 game season:

Judge - 62 - 2022
Maris - 61 - 1961
Ruth - 60 - 1927 ( 154 games )
Ruth- 59 - 1921 ( 154 games )
Stanton - 59 - 2017

Period - end of story….

And if Judge or Stanton show up with steroid use at any time, they are off the list - that simple…..don’t think that will be the case…

Yes, the asterisk was removed. I think all of you are whining because it's the Yankees. Maris did not lengthen the season, no on did except baseball officials. I believe it is home runs in a season, no matter how many games are in a season. And it's funny, I never heard this kind of crap about Sosa and McGwire and Bonds about the length of the season as I have with Maris and Judge. If all this would get rid of steroids, things would be much better.

Maris did have a ton more pressure, but he was also doing nothing in '61 until the most feared hitter of the prior decade was protecting him in the order.

Various sides for the argument for both him and Judge. Each obviously had their amazing year, and there's no clear answer to which was "better"

Mostly I was curious if you were celebrating him as a player, or celebrating him because he happened to belong to your team. It seems relevant because this is very much an individual achievement, albeit with an assist from the ballpark. I guess now we know a bit more about why you’re celebrating this achievement.

Not that there’s anything wrong with being a fanboy of any given team. It just gives me a better idea of your motives for celebrating this player this year.

Missing several here.

What one personally thinks the record should be recognized as and what the record factually is are different things. Many seem to be using the former as the later.

ZERO chance he is not a Yankee next season.

Zero seems a little low, but maybe you know something that we don’t know?

Cheating is factual…..

We all have our opinions….. Cheers…

Honest, I don't follow baseball that much. I did get worked up when Aaron Judge hit the headlines in 2017. I noted here and there what was happening since then. I felt bad about his injuries, though I imagine the Yanks helped him deal with those with strength training, rest, but no illegal drugs.

Then 2022 comes along, and it's 2017 all over again, though this time he really seems to be carrying his team with crucial hits, fielding gems, and just anything he can do to help the team win. Without PEDS!

I thought with the acquisition of Stanton, the Yanks would have another Ruth-Gehrig or Mantle-Maris. When both are healthy...KER-BLAMOs happen. Without PEDS!

Sure, I like it that Aaron Judge is a Yankee. My all-time favorite player is Mickey Mantle, so there's some connection. Would I be so enraptured if he was killing 'em in Colorado?

Probaby not.

Shoeless Moe says there's "ZERO chance" he's not a Yankee next season. I agree because Aaron Judge is a different kind of person than some of the other "MONEYBALL" players. Yeah, for sure, his agent will demand "a Jupiter" multi-year package. He deserves that. I just don't think Aaron Judge will walk away from the Yankee organization, if the Yanks offer him the "BONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! numbers. I know it will challenge the Yankees to come up with that kind of a sky-high many-million dollar package, but if any team can do it, they can. Let's face it, without Judge, the interest in the Yankees in 2023 is virtually minuscule. At 30, his peak probably won't last too many more years. Still, nobody can take away what he achieved this year. One for the ages, or at least 61 long years. And without PEDS!

I could be very wrong. I doubt it. But I'll be the first to admit I was wrong and spare you the "I TOLD YA SO!"

In the end, I do feel Aaron is the kind of man that appreciates and remembers all those little fans of his, just like Mickey Mantle. What I mean to say is, Mantle FORCED HIMSELF to play in a lot of pain because he did not want to disappoint any kids in the stands that might be seeing him play in person for the only time in their life. Aaron Judge is like that, too. He does it without PEDS, too!

I probably sound as if I'm "way out there" to some of youse guys, but that's how my mind thinks. A romantic / sentimental view I suppose. Yup, cause I'm a mushy, sentimental slob. Aaron's not gonna see these words, and I'm sure what I say would not mean anything to him, but Aaron-----

PLEASE STAY WITH THE YANKEES!!!

And while you're at it, continue to stay away from PEDS! Your legacy will be golden!

--- Brian Powell

PS--And JimmyC, Cheers back at you, mate!!

From MLB's own website. No asterisks, no steroid notations, no notes about season length. Just homeruns in a season. End of discussion.

Judge had a GREAT season ... He's a feel-good story even if he is a Yankee and he's so big he literally dwarfs the competition.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/22513177400...p2047675.l2557

If you insist on voiding suspected PED seasons Judge set a single-season HR record (assuming Judge is "clean" -- which I think he is). I don't subscribe to that myself -- the leader is much-maligned Barry Lamar Bonds. Like it or not.

The American League record thing seems overblown, outdated, and almost quaint. Ever since inter-league play began league records became much less meaningful to me. ...It's like figuring out who holds the NBA single-season western conference record for something. (BTW I think Chamberlain wins either way for scoring
The NL vs AL distinction has dissolved further with the universal adoption of the DH.

The NL single-season record for HR used to be Hack Wilson (56 in 1930) .... I'm not even sure who holds it now if you exclude the PED suspected? Ryan Howard, Luis Gonzalez, or still Wilson ?

Giancarlo Stanton had 59 for the Marlins in 2017 and Howard had 58 for the Fleas in 2006.

I agree that the focus on Judge setting the AL and Yankees team record for home runs seemed a little odd. I'm a big Phillies fan, and I don't remember much being mentioned of him setting the NL home run record in 2006 or Stanton breaking it in 2017.

With Judge, I think it was clearly a way to give him credit for some kind of record without having the discussion of whether or not all of the PED tainted numbers are the true home run record.

You misread what I said.

I said Zero chance he is not a Yankee next season. Meaning he will be a Yankee next season.