CHICAGO — With a monster drive that hit the wall over a center-field restaurant and then dropped onto the netting that covers Monument Park, Aaron Judge smashed his first home run in the major leagues at Yankee Stadium.
Long before Judge met the legends on that unforgettable 2016 afternoon, there were the ballfields located off East Front Street in Linden, Calif., directly behind the elementary school. You never forget your first over-the-fence homer, and in Judge’s case, that one was hit in the Linden Little League.
“We had four fields — East and West were the main ones,” Judge stated. “It was on the East field. I remember my dad [Wayne] was down the line, watching the game. I’ve still got the ball in my childhood bedroom.”
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As the Yankees prepare to visit Williamsport, Pa., to face the Tigers in Sunday’s Little League Classic on ESPN at 7:10 p.m. ET, Judge reflected on his youth in California’s San Joaquin Valley, where he first enjoyed success on the ballfield by wearing uniforms of clubs like the Rockies, Astros, Mariners and Pirates (though, strangely, never the Yankees).
“I’m excited,” Judge added. “I’ve watched that for so many years now, and I was hoping at some point we’d get a chance to play there. I’ve talked to [Anthony] Rizzo and some other guys that got a chance to play there, and they’ve said it’s a blast, getting time to spend with the kids.
“You’re playing in a game where most of the audience is Little League kids, and they’re pretty excited. I think it’s going to be a fantastic show for all of us.”
Even as a Little Leaguer, Judge hungered to win, but his best memories didn’t necessarily come between the white lines.
“I think it’s just playing with your buddies, playing with your friends,” Judge added. “Getting a hot dog and a Pepsi after the game, it was a good time. Our snack booth was right there, and everyone was running, even if we lost the game. Kids were running over there to get the hot dog. We just had a lot of fun. I used to adore sliding practice and all the exciting things we would do.
“It was pretty competitive. We had some very good teams back then, so it definitely got me ready for the major leagues.”
If you could set your time machine for the year 2000 and grab a sunny place in the Linden bleachers, you’d undoubtedly identify an 8-year-old Judge without any trouble. He was already the largest player on his teams, regularly emulating the hunched hitting stance of Giants baseman Rich Aurilia, then his favorite player.
“I played first base; I enjoyed it,” Judge added. “I mostly played first because I was the biggest kid, plus my dad was playing first base in all his softball games, so I was trying to be like him. I remember I played outfield once or twice in All-Stars because we had another really decent first baseman, so I said, ‘All right, I’m going to attempt to catch some balls in left field.’
“I pitched and played a little shortstop, too. Wherever they needed me. I was just hoping to place the ball in the middle of the field. I definitely would’ve been hurt by the shift when they put somebody behind second base. That’s what I was taught back then, whack it up the center. I basically tried to do that every time.”
After his Little League days, Judge went on to play three sports at Linden High, where he shone in baseball, football and basketball. Recruited to continue at the university level, Judge said he preferred the “chess match” of a batter meeting a pitcher most, which motivated him to pursue baseball at Fresno State University.
As his career progressed from that college campus toward a life in professional ball, now standing tall as one of the game’s most famous stars and a perennial MVP candidate, Judge said that the experiences of those Linden diamonds continue to serve him well. He hopes the Little Leaguers in Williamsport can imbibe some of those same teachings this weekend.
“Honestly, just have fun and keep working,” Judge added. “Enjoy these moments, they’re going to go by quick. It feels like just yesterday I was back there playing Little League, but that’s over 20 years ago. Soak up every minute, hang out with your pals and keep working hard. You might be in the Little League World Series today, but you might be in the World Series in 20 years, who knows?”
