OPINION: Aaron Judge's home run chase is about more than just a great ballplayer having a great year, writes Charles Passy. It’s about baseball returning to its roots.
First, a confession: As someone who grew up rooting for the New York Mets, I’ve never paid much attention to the New York Yankees, the storied ball club that wears its “Yankee Pride” on its sleeve to a level that I find a little obnoxious.
Starting pitchers often go for no more than five or six innings, letting a string of relievers play things out. Similarly, hitters — even good ones — are no longer playing as much: In 2007, some 34 players recorded at least 600 at-bats. Last year, just 17 did. But instead of paying heed to those at-bats, we now can consider a range of “advanced” statistics that measure a player’s worth in myriad ways.
But here’s the thing: Baseball has never been a game that’s traditionally about the clock. Nor has it been a game that puts brakes on players — at least until the last decade or so. You want to watch athletes willing to give it their all, even if it means — dare I say? — playing through a slight injury. Mickey Mantle, the greatest Yankee of the post-war era, spent most of his career nursing injuries, and it didn’t stop him from hitting 536 homers or appearing in 12 World Series.
Moreover, it doesn’t need a player juicing himself up to succeed. It’s unlikely Judge will be able to beat Barry Bonds’ major-league record of 73 homers, set in 2001. Or even equal Mark McGwire’s mark of 70, set in 1998. But lest we forget, those players were from baseball’s sad steroid era, and their achievements will forever be clouded by that. I think we can all agree we want to see players achieve based on their natural abilities.
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