Will Aaron Judge be Limited to DH for Yankees?
Eric Karros settled in behind the cage as the Yankees took batting practice before their series opener in Dodger Stadium last month. During his 14 years as a major leaguer, plus two decades since as a television analyst, he had made it a point to arrive early on the field to watch only three men hit: Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Giancarlo Stanton.
Now, he was adding a fourth player to his power list: Aaron Judge.
But the show Karros expected never materialized. Instead, Judge tapped the ball around the field working on his “barrel accuracy.” While Bonds, McGwire and Stanton entertained thousands with their one-dimensional, long-distance focus during batting practice, Judge often uses his time to work on the finer points — including his short game and, before grabbing a bat, his outfield defense.
“I never wanted to be just an offensive player that can only hit, and a liability on defense,” Judge said during a clubhouse conversation the next day. “Because I know everybody else on the field is working their butt off, especially that guy on the mound. He’s trying to go out there and make pitches and get outs.”
He added: “I can help him out by saving a run or stopping a runner from advancing on defense. And it’s going to help us win a ballgame.”
Source: The New York Times
