A little over 100 years ago, a charismatic and portly slugger named Babe Ruth began swatting balls over outfield fences by volume, helping establish the home run as one of the most coveted individual achievements in sports, and the Yankees as the most honored franchise.
Ruth’s records, including 60 home runs in 1927, became sacred milestones, cherished for decades by millions. In 1961, Roger Maris, as humble and retiring as Ruth was gregarious, broke the single-season record when he hit 61 homers, also for the Yankees.
Now Aaron Judge, as physically imposing as Ruth and as modest as Maris, has passed them both, homering against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Tuesday to reach 62 for the season, setting a new American League record….
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Judge’s pursuit has captivated the baseball world, especially at Yankee Stadium, where in recent days fans had stood for each of his at-bats and paused in quiet anticipation as the pitches were delivered.
He homered last week in Toronto to match Maris, and then on Tuesday, after failing to homer in three games at home and two games in Texas, he ended the suspense, drilling No. 62 to left field off the right-hander Jesús Tinoco in the top of the first inning in the second game of a doubleheader to stand alone with a new A.L. record.
The ball was caught by a fan in the left field stands who has been identified as Corey Youmans of Dallas. He was escorted away by security so the ball could be authenticated by Major League Baseball. Whether or not he will hold onto the ball or return it to Judge has yet to be announced. Auctioneers have estimated that home run No. 62 could be worth at least $1 million.
image…Credit…Nathan Hunsinger for The New York Times