Aaron Judge gets his own cheering section at Yankee Stadium
New York Yankees fans were already getting on their feet when Aaron Judge came to bat. Now, the Yankees are officially encouraging them to “all rise,” especially when they are sitting in Judge’s new cheering section.
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Yes, after just 66 games, Judge has his own area in Yankee Stadium. The team is calling it “The Judge’s Chambers.”
In fairness, those 66 games have been exciting. While Judge got off to a rough start last year, he’s been one of the best players in baseball through the first month and a half this season. In 164 plate appearances, Judge is hitting .321/.421/.707, with a major-league leading 15 home runs. At just 25, he looks like he could be the face of the franchise for years to come.
On top of that, he seems fairly likable. Judge appeared on “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” in “disguise” to ask fans what they thought about him. The fans had no idea they were sitting next to Judge until he introduced himself. In that segment, Judge comes off as affable, funny and charming. He’s the type of player the Yankees should want to push right now.
The Yankees unveiled the new area prior to Monday night’s game against the Kansas City Royals. Their fans already seem to enjoy it.
The fans in the newly-installed “Judge’s Chamber” #Yankees pic.twitter.com/fKBCZwONAQ
— Sung Min Kim (@sung_minkim) May 23, 2017
Frankly, we’re surprised. All of this is coming from an organization that still employs a strict no beard, no long hair policy. The Yankees aren’t exactly known for being a team with a loose atmosphere.
Their youngsters, led by Judge, are changing that. If this new area is any indication, the excitement of the team’s young core might be extending off the field as well. For the first time in a long time, the Yankees might be … gulp … fun.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik