Mancuso: Aaron Judge Now A Book Phenom

Six more weeks down in Tampa Florida and it will be the newest Yankee Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge. Already there is speculation and questions as to how many home runs combined the two will launch out of ballparks. Judge, though, has already established himself as the ballplayer in New York and a phenom after a rookie record season in the Bronx.

And now, Aaron Judge has a book that could be unprecedented after a rookie season. “The Incredible Story of the New York Yankees’ Home Run-Hitting Phenom” published by Skyhorse Publishing, authored by David Fischer and forwarded by ESPN.com writer Buster Olney details the incredible journey of the Yankees slugger.

We know Aaron Judge as the baseball story of this past season. Seeing his presence on the field and in the clubhouse for post game interviews leaves limited questions as to why Judge was tabbed by baseball commissioner Rob Manfred as a player “who can become the face of the game.”

So why a book about this phenom, and about a rookie who could possibly be that face of the game? Bypass that Aaron Judge plays for a historic franchise and wearing Yankees pinstripes while establishing records will make you a superstar in New York. He struggled and batted below .200 and struck out in more than 40 percent of plate appearances after joining the Yankees.

Ten home runs in April of this past season tying a rookie record for the month, and in between more struggles, it was Aaron Judge who made the adjustments. He was a catalyst in the Yankees youth movement that got his team to an unexpected ALCS against the eventual world champion Houston Astros.

“As a major-Leaguer Judge is never cocky or demonstrative,” says Fischer an accomplished writer and author of sports books. “He is a self-effacing, down-to-earth giant, a team-first guy who lets his athletic skills speak for him. Now he is hitting baseballs farther than any Yankee in recent memory, and fans are taking note.”

Indeed Yankees fans took note of a rookie home run record. They flocked to Yankee Stadium and many sat in the unprecedented “Judges’ Chambers” in lower right field. The Yankees organization is obviously marketing their young star to their advantage and opened the gates early for pregame block parties that enabled fans to view a long Aaron Judge batting practice home run with an opportunity to take a ball home.

The fans will bypass a strikeout ratio at the plate. All they want is the Aaron Judge home run ball and in baseball today the game is evolving around the long ball.

“Judge is quickly emerging as the future of not only the Yankees, but also the heir apparent to Jeter,” says Fischer in reference to the former Yankees superstar and captain with the name Derek Jeter.  The reference again about Judge, as Fischer says “baseball’s next superstar that truly transcends the sport and Manfred was not shy about his expectations for Judge saying he is the type of player “who can become the face of the game.”

And it goes on about Judge and the rookie season, “AL Rookie of The Year” and the Home Run Derby and how television ratings were their best in years because the game of baseball proved it could market players. And of course with a presence on and off the field that fits the bill, Aaron Judge was marketable and will continue to be.

A good read about a phenom that  went beyond expectations in his rookie year, and there is certainly going to be more to watch in the coming season. Of course there is no mention of this dangerous combination of Judge and Stanton, as the book was published prior to the Yankees making the trade of this offseason.

This is all about Aaron Judge. Though we know him as the ballplayer from a media point of view, the author of this chronicle brings out the reality of the real Aaron Judge.

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About the Author

Rich Mancuso

Rich Mancuso is a regular contributor at NY Sports Day, covering countless New York Mets, Yankees, and MLB teams along with some of the greatest boxing matches over the years. He is an award winning sports journalist and previously worked for The Associated Press, New York Daily News, Gannett, and BoxingInsider.com, in a career that spans almost 40 years.

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