Fans at Yankee Stadium and sports bars across New York City were hoping to witness history Saturday, and although it didn’t happen this game, they’re confident it will soon.
As CBS2’s Dave Carlin reports, the last name “Judge” was everywhere you looked in and around the stadium.
“Whenever Judge comes to bat, we gotta be quiet and wait for him to hit it out,” Hunts Point resident Vinny Sosa said. “It didn’t happen today. I’m upset about that.”
Some had to tell fellow fans to be patient.
“We expect him to get it. We hope it’s against Boston,” said Steve Vanderlinden, from Oradell, New Jersey.
Laura Clark, of the Upper East Side, had her Judge jersey and faith she’ll see him triumph in person.
“Yes, good vibes, positive vibes,” she said. “I have to come again because I have to be here for it. I have to be here for it. So I’ll just keep coming until it happens.”
Even Red Sox fans who were denied Saturday’s win do not deny Judge. That would be unsportsmanlike.
“I’m OK with Judge,” said Graham Bonebrake, a Red Sox fan from Norwalk, Connecticut.
“Judge is going to win AL MVP, so what are you gonna do about it? Just gotta sit back and watch, enjoy greatness,” said Red Sox fan Brendan Roach, from Worcester, Massachusetts.
“We had a great time. We’re glad we got the whole family out there today to see him during the chase and make some memories we won’t forget,” Vanderlinden said.
“Yeah, I’m coming tomorrow. It’s gonna happen tomorrow,” Sosa said. “Tickets are expensive because of Judge’s record.”
Ticket prices more than doubled in the past few days, and more and more Judge merch is being sold as the player goes after the record. Day after day, swing after swing, cash registers ring.
Owners of local sports bars and the owners of memorabilia shops had one thing to say about all of this: thank you, Mr. Judge.