The New York Yankees enter Sept. 5 four games back of the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays. While the Yankees need to try to close the gap in this final month to win the division, the team, and more importantly Aaron Judge, will be judged by what they do in the postseason.
New York’s World Series drought is nearing two decades, and all eyes will be on the team to win the Yankees’ first championship since 2009. Moreover, one player who has helped the Yankees win a World Series is former starting pitcher Roger Clemens.
Clemens was part of the New York teams that won the World Series in 1999 and 2000. During a Sept. 4 appearance on WFAN, Clemens noted that to be remembered as one of the Yankees’ greats, Judge will need to win a ring.
“Man, you gotta have a ring,” Clemens said. “You gotta have a ring… [Judge is] a guy that when he comes to home plate, he’s in scoring position, and that’s what makes it fun for the fans, man. You’re on the edge of your seat, and if you make a mistake, he’s still like my young son who plays, my youngest, Kody, plays for the Twins. He says, ‘Dad, this dude missles balls to right field at 110 miles an hour.'”
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Judge is nearing a return from his fractured right rib that he sustained in late April, and last played on May 31. With the playoffs nearing, Judge took batting practice on Sept. 4, so he looks to be inching closer to a return.
Nonetheless, upon his return, Judge will have the pressure of helping the Yankees win a World Series this season. Clemens also spoke about what the team needs to end the championship drought.
“There’s no days off for the guys,” Clemens added. “They’re going to have to bring it. The guys that are supposed to put it together, it’s supposed to be put together. I know that this time of year, again, I’m preaching to the choir. Pitching and defense are going to win.
“You’re going to see number ones and number twos maybe get down to a number three guy in your rotation. But pitching, you’ve got to catch it. If a ball’s in the air for three seconds or more, that ball has to be run down and caught. These are all the things that you focus on as winners. When you have goals to get to the playoffs and win, it’s just that simple.”
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With Judge taking batting practice and nearing his return down the stretch and the postseason, the Yankees star spoke about taking swings.
“I’m mad how long it has taken,” Judge said on Sept. 4 (h/t Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). “It is what it is. I wish it was real two months ago, but we’re at this point [now]. We’re getting close. I can’t wait to be back out there… We’re hitting all the baseball stuff. Throwing to bases, throwing, running the bases. Hitting, getting on the field, moving around. I think [we need to] face some live pitching, and then I’ll get back out there.”
Yankees’ Aaron Judge Handed Strong Words From Roger Clemens