Aaron Judge reveals how Anthony Rizzo convinced him to stay in New York with some help from their dogs Kevin and Penny
Yankees superstar Aaron Judge appeared on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday night, where the pair spoke about a variety of topics, including Judge's decision to re-sign with the New York Yankees, how he picks his walk-up song, and how his and Anthony Rizzo's dogs are the best of friends.
.@ARizzo44 was calling and texting @TheJudge44 daily to make sure he stayed with the @Yankees. #FallonTonight https://t.co/v5Zqch7THx
"@ARizzo44 was calling and texting @TheJudge44 daily to make sure he stayed with the @Yankees. #FallonTonight" - The Tonight Show, Twitter
Judge described the dogs, Kevin and Penny, as the best of friends.
“Yea, he went for the, for my heart. So he went for, you know my little Penny, and his dog Kevin are the best of friends,” Judge said.
Judge also spilled the beans about his decision to re-sign with the New York Yankees.
The New York Yankees today announced that they have re-signed four-time All-Star and 2022 American League Most Valuable Player OF Aaron Judge to a nine-year Major League contract extending through the 2031 season. https://t.co/9tyopgdKbO
"The New York Yankees today announced that they have re-signed four-time All-Star and 2022 American League Most Valuable Player OF Aaron Judge to a nine-year Major League contract extending through the 2031 season." - New York Yankees, Twitter
When quizzed by Fallon about which teammate helped him with his decision to stay put in the Big Apple, Judge was quick to admit it was none other than Yankee first baseman Anthony Rizzo.
“Yea, it was Anthony Rizzo. He played a big part, a big part. He was a free agent too. He opted out, but he got his contract out of the way, and he said, now we got to get you locked in,” Judge said.
“He was calling me every day, sending me texts every day. He was working hard,” Judge concluded.
Rizzo and Kevin sure deserve a huge shoutout for possibly the greatest assist in New York Yankees history.
Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo share a close bond
Anthony Rizzo and Aaron Judge remain great friends and have maintained that they will remain like that forever.
“Obviously I want to be his teammate. We’ve become good friends on the field and off the field. We’ve really enjoyed playing with each other. But at the end of all of this, a friendship here or a friendship somewhere else, it’s still a friendship. It doesn’t mean you have to be on the same team to be friends. So wherever he’s at, I try to respect his privacy and his space and then let him come up with the decision on his own,” Rizzo said.
Now that it is clear the pair will remain in the Bronx, it will be interesting to see how well they do next year.