South Shore Little League manager Bob Laterza suggested that New York Yankees star Aaron Judge blew off his team during Sunday’s Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge. Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports
Laterza said he was promised a meet-and-greet with Yankees players at the hotel they were staying at, but Judge was not among that group, with DJ LeMahieu and Tim Hill appearing instead. The team also got to meet the likes of manager Aaron Boone, as well as Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes and Jasson Dominguez, but that Judge was not among those who spent time talking to his players. Laterza added that Judge did not even give the kids a wave of acknowledgment during the game, even though they were seated directly behind home plate.
“How about turning around or wave to New York and the kids that think you’re a hero?” Laterza said, via Nick Regina of the Staten Island Advance. “They are the ones who pay your salary. They were disappointed. Maybe he’ll want to make up for it and come and see them.”
Laterza did praise the players that did spend time with his team. The Yankees’ official X account, for instance, posted a video of Cole spending extensive time talking to the Little Leaguers and signing autographs for them.
Judge was undoubtedly the most in-demand player in Williamsport, and everyone wanted a piece of him. Pictures and video from social media posted throughout the day showed the Yankees star getting swarmed with kids, while he signed autographs without any complaint. In one video that went viral Sunday, he was seen having a fun interaction with a Little Leaguer who asked him to hit a 474-foot home run during the game.
If Laterza and his Little Leaguers thought they were going to meet Judge and didn’t, that probably falls on planning or miscommunication on the part of the Yankees, not on Judge himself. After all, the outfielder had a full game to play, and his team is in a pennant race. Sure, it would have been nice had he turned around and waved to the kids, but he is also doing his own prep work in the on-deck circle before taking his at-bat. Players like Cole, who was not pitching Sunday, did not have as many responsibilities on the day.
Judge has been known as a fairly fan-friendly figure during his career and has even shrugged off the rare boos he has received before from Yankee fans. It is highly unlikely he snubbed anyone on purpose here.
