New York Yankees star Aaron Judge once confessed copying Giants icon as a young fan
Aaron Judge once opened up about him imitating his childhood hero during his Little League career. To everyone's surprise, Judge's hero turned out to be the San Francisco Giants' Rich Aurilia, whose posture he copied during his school days.
Judge had just made his debut for the Yankees in 2016 and was unanimously voted the 2017 American League Rookie of the Year. Since then, the world has taken note of the 6-foot-7 outfielder as he has gone on to break multiple records and attract lucrative contract renewals from his team.
In an interview with NJ Advance Media in 2017, Judge laughed about his time playing in the Little Leagues. He is from Linden, California, and grew up as a Giants fan. Judge would imitate shortstop Rich Aurilia, who was a relatively lesser-known face than the other stars that the Giants possessed at the time.
"I copied his stance when I was in Little League," Judge said. "I was the tallest kid, and I was crouched down like Aurilia. It was funny."
Aaron Judge in Little League. https://t.co/ulJCzYOrue
Aaron Judge gave quite the reasoning for this unique liking. It had a lot to do with his father's connection with the No. 35. In the interview, Judge said that he ended up liking Aurilia because he wore his father's favorite number.
"My dad's favorite number is 35, so as a kid I wore 35. And Rich Aurilia was the shortstop for my favorite team, and he wore 35," Judge said. "I liked watching him."
Aaron Judge's journey from Linden to the bigger leagues
Linden is a small town in California that is 80 miles east of Oakland and 100 miles east of San Francisco. Aaron Judge was a regular player for Linden High School until his senior year. He was brought in by the Oakland Athletics for a predraft workout and was chosen by the A's in the 31st round that year.
Judge instead chose to join Fresno State University, where he was influential in helping the Bulldogs win the Western Athletic Conferece.
"I was set on getting my education started and going the college route, so it really didn't cross my mind," Judge said. "It was cool and exciting that the A's picked me, but my mind was set."
Currently, Judge is arguably the biggest baseball icon in the country. After having a record-breaking 2022 season with the Yankees, during which he broke the longstanding American League record for most home runs with 62, he signed a nine-year $360 million contract.