Aaron Judge meets youngster, Blue Jays fan from ‘moment seen around the world’
TORONTO — Aaron Judge got to meet likely his biggest fan of all on Wednesday at Rogers Centre.
A day after the heart-warming scene of 9-year-old Yankees fan Derek Rodriguez hugging Mike Lanzillotta — the Blue Jays fan who came away with Judge’s home-run ball in the sixth inning of Tuesday’s game before giving the ball to Rodriguez — the two were back at Rogers Centre, where they were both introduced to Judge.
“It was a special moment,’’ Judge said of meeting both before the game Wednesday night.
It happened Tuesday when Judge turned on a 3-2 Alek Manoah fastball with the Yankees trailing 1-0. The 427-foot shot landed in the second deck in left field, leading to a bit of a scramble, with Lanzillotta grabbing it off the ground.
Lanzillotta, who had talked to Derek and his father, Cesar, earlier in the game and knew he was a huge Judge fan, turned around and handed him the ball, which was shown on the telecast, as it happened right after the ball was hit.
The now-viral video of Lanzillota picking up the ball and immediately handing it to the 9-year-old Rodriguez, who then hugged Lanzillotta and started crying, led to the Yankees bringing them together again before Wednesday’s series finale.
“For a Blue Jays’ fan to have that moment with a young Yankee fan, that’s a moment seen around the world,’’ Judge said. “It speaks volumes to the Blue Jays fans they have here. … It was cool.”
Judge spoke to Rodriguez in the visiting dugout for several moments, where Rodriguez was overcome with emotion again.
“I asked him who his favorite player was and he turned around with his little jersey,’’ Judge said of the No. 99 shirt Rodriguez was wearing. “It still gives me goose bumps seeing little kids wearing my number, my jersey. That was something I dreamed of. I used to be in his position, with my favorite players and teams. It was a pretty cool moment.”
Rodriguez, accompanied by his family, said he brought the “famous ball” to school and brought a marker to Wednesday’s game to get it signed by Judge.
“I’m excited this happened,’’ said Rodriguez, who was named after Derek Jeter.
And, he said of Lanzillotta, “I’ll call him my best friend for life.”
“That’s tough to beat,’’ Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of the moment between Rodriguez and Lanzillotta. “That’s one of the moments that warms your heart.”
Rodriguez and his family are expected to be reunited with Lanzillotta later this year — perhaps in June — when the Blue Jays visit The Bronx, and they have all been invited to sit in the Judge’s Chambers in right field.
It will be hard for Judge to provide a more dramatic moment.
Right now, he remains in a torrid stretch during which he’s hit five homers in his previous five games, six in his last seven and eight in his last 10.
Judge entered Wednesday with nine homers on the season, tied with teammate Anthony Rizzo and Colorado’s C.J. Cron for tops in the majors.
The superb first month comes after Judge turned down the Yankees’ seven-year, $230 million extension offer prior to spring training.
Days like Wednesday are a reminder of why Judge might think he’s worth more than that.
