The rivalry between the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays has gotten even hotter
"Keep your eye on the ball."
I'm not sure who coined that term, but it is one of the very first lessons any first-time baseball player is taught. It is a bit more literal in baseball and sports in general, but it can be applied to everyday life. Regardless, it is an important aspect of the game.
Aaron Judge gave a little side-eye before a Jay Jackson pitch came his way. He took his eye off of the ball. But it didn't matter; Judge blasted a solo shot to center field to extend the Yankees' lead to 7-0. The Blue Jays tried to claw back in the later innings, but New York ultimately came out on top 7-4.
Judge hitting a home run isn't uncommon. He put up an incredible 62 long balls in 2022. It was his second of the game, tenth on the season and third multi-home run game on the campaign. He has proven to be one of the game's best players, and is the cornerstone for the Yankees' organization.
The side-eye has raised questions, however. Sportsnet commentators Buck Martinez and Dan Shulman questioned what Judge was looking at on the broadcast. While the announcers did not openly accuse Judge of anything, they speculated that maybe he was looking for some sort of signal. Even Blue Jays' skipper John Schneider was looking for answers.
"It's kind of odd that a hitter would be looking in that direction."
Judge was asked about the "incident" during the post-game media scrums. He stated that he glanced over towards his dugout to discover which of his teammates were yelling at plate umpire Clint Vondrak. The official had tossed Yankees' manager Aaron Boone mere moments before the home run. Boone confronted Vondrak about a poor strike call, and later claimed that he wasn't too thrilled with the calls throughout the entire game. He even made note to Vondrak that the Blue Jays had also been complaining about his officiating.
Viewers have clapped back at Boone, calling him out for his reaction in what was a 6-0 lead at the time. But this is sports, and anything can happen. The Blue Jays tried to muster up a comeback, and while they fell short, could have very well have done so. It isn't over until it is over.
With that being said, Judge was looking towards the team's dugout to see who was making comments towards Vondrak. This was something Judge wasn't a particular fan of.
"There was kind of a lot of chirping from our dugout, which I didn't really like in the situation. I feel like after the manager does his thing, it's like "Fellas, our pitcher still has got to go out there and make some pitches. We've got the lead, let's just go to work here."
"I said a couple of things to some guys in the dugout and especially after the game. Hopefully it won't happen again."
Judge knew that the team still had a job to do despite the large lead. The game was far from over even with the lopsided score. Case in point, a 7-0 game transitioned into Michael King needing to be brought in to convert a save opportunity.
Blue Jays' fans and Yankees haters alike have called Judge out for his supposed cheating. He heard the boo birds loud and clear during his first at-bat of Tuesday's contest. But the negative reactions are all for nothing. Major League Baseball now has technology that helps prevent sign stealing, so that works in Judge's favour. Not to mention, the pitch he saw came over the heart of the plate. It is not too often that he would miss that pitch.
He deserves the benefit of the doubt. Was it odd for him to do that in that moment? Yes. But this is Aaron Judge we're talking about. He's proven for years he doesn't need the extra information. He has belted a whopping number of long balls in his major league career.
The heart of the matter is that while anyone has the ability to cheat, it feels highly unlikely a player of Judge's caliber would resort to that sort of tactic. His character and abilities have come into question over this "incident." A nothing glance has turned into him and his team being called out. You may not like the Yankees, but you have to respect that Judge is a top-tier talent. This entire situation has been blown significantly out of proportion.
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