Yankees legend Don Mattingly suggests Aaron Judge leads by example and that he would make a wonderful captain
Superstar outfielder Aaron Judge became only the 16th captain in the illustrious history of the New York Yankees last December when he signed his blockbuster $360 million contract that would run for over 10 years.
The Yankees have named Aaron Judge the 16th Captain in franchise history. https://t.co/F8uwyIOF3k
"The Yankees have named Aaron Judge the 16th Captain in franchise history," New York Yankees, Twitter
The decision was well received throughout the league, and the news spread like wildfire. The Yankees in the past and present were all in cohesion when they said that this was the way forward.
Former New York Yankees captain and club legend Don Mattingly heaped praise on the swashbuckling hitter in a recent interview, commending him for always leading by example.
When quizzed about what advice he had for Judge, Mattingly questioned whether he even needed advice. Mattingly said of Judge:
“I don’t think he needs advice. It sounds like he’s already there. They wouldn’t have named him if he wasn’t. So a guy that probably leads by example. … I’m sure he’s already well on his way to being comfortable with who he is and his place on the club”
The current bench coach of the Toronto Blue Jays may not have led the Yankees to a World Series title under his leadership, but he sure does understand what championship pedigree is all about. If he thinks Judge has got it in him to do wonders as the captain, he is probably right about it.
Mattingly served as captain of the Yankees from 1991 through 1995, when he retired as a player.
Don Mattingly won the Gold Glove a mammoth nine times as a player
The ambidextrous Don Mattingly was picked up by the New York Yankees in the 19th round of the 1979 Major League Baseball draft and made his MLB debut three years later on September 8, 1982. He spent his entire 14-year major league career with the Yankees.
Mattingly established himself as a starting first baseman after a successful rookie season in 1983 and went on to be named an All-Star six times, won nine Gold Glove Awards (an AL record for a first baseman), three Silver Slugger Awards, the 1984 AL batting title, becoming the 1985 AL Most Valuable Player.
9 gold gloves for Don Mattingly. He played a mean 1st basemen. https://t.co/vqiBwLP1TW
"9 gold gloves for Don Mattingly. He played a mean 1st basemen," BaseballHistoryNut, Twitter.
The Yankees retired Mattingly’s uniform number 23 upon his retirement, making him the only Yankee to have his number retired without having won a World Series with the team.