Yankees defend Aaron Judge after criticism from Staten Island Little League coach
Aaron Judge takes a selfie with a fan's cellphone as he arrives with the Yankees at the Little League World Series Complex to watch the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., on Sunday. Credit: AP/Tom E. Puskar
Don’t Judge our superstar harshly, the Yankees told a Staten Island Little League coach on Tuesday night.
The Yankees reacted to stinging criticism of superstar Aaron Judge from Staten Island Little League coach Bob Laterza, who told SI Live that Judge didn’t spend any time with his players at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania on Sunday.
"How about turning around or wave to New York and the kids that think you’re a hero?" Laterza said, according to SI Live. "They are the ones who pay your salary.
"They were disappointed," Laterza added. "Maybe he’ll want to make up for it and come and see them."
The Yankees answered Laterza’s comment with a statement obtained by Newsday that promised a future visit for the Staten Island team to Yankee Stadium and ended by saying, “Aaron Judge always acts with kindness and respect. The coach could learn a lot from him.”
The Yankees played the Detroit Tigers in the Little League Classic on Sunday night. Seven hours before the game, the Yankees flew into Williamsport Regional Airport and signed autographs for teams from Las Vegas and Venezuela. Staten Island played Sunday morning, so that team was not at the airport.
The Yankees then took a bus ride with the Little Leaguers to Lamade Stadium, site of the Little League World Series games, and watched the action with the players.
No Yankees player was surrounded by more fans than Judge, who must have signed hundreds of autographs at the airport, at Lamade Stadium, and as he was mobbed by a sea of fans as the Yankees entered Bowman Field for their game against Detroit.
“They make you feel like the Beatles out there,” Judge said.
Judge did not meet with Staten Island, but manager Aaron Boone did along with Yankees players Gerrit Cole, Tommy Kahnle, Nestor Cortes and Jasson Dominguez, and former Yankees player Nick Swisher.
The Yankees’ statement said: “Aaron Judge is one of the great ambassadors of our sport. He is a role model worth celebrating – not simply because of his skills and accomplishments on the field – but because of the way he wholeheartedly embraces making a positive impact on those who look up to him.
“Our entire roster spent the day in Williamsport connecting with as many Little Leaguers as they possibly could prior to our game, including the team from Staten Island. We commend all of our players for devoting their complete attention to the hundreds of kids who literally walked step-by-step alongside them from the moment the Yankees landed in Williamsport through the entirety of the evening. Our players were unequivocally committed to making the experience what it was intended to be – a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for young baseball players and their families from around the world to have meaningful and genuine interaction with some of Major League Baseball’s greatest players.
“Neither the Yankees nor our players organized the schedule on Sunday. In fact, because Staten Island played on Sunday our players went out of their way to spend time with them in the moments immediately before our game with the Tigers.
“We wish Staten Island success in winning the championship. Win or lose, we intend to invite them to Yankee Stadium. However, it would have been much better if Staten Island’s Coach called us to understand the facts before bitterly reacting in such a public fashion. Reaching out to us would have been the prudent way to act and would have set a fine example for his young players. Aaron Judge always acts with kindness and respect. The coach could learn a lot from him.”
Judge, after Sunday night’s game, said of his experience: “I wish I got to spend more time with the kids and hang out with them. We kind of got rushed around a little bit, but the moments we did get to spend with them and get to talk with them and just really answer questions, have some fun with them, ask them questions about how they're doing, how are they enjoying this experience out here. That, for me, was definitely the best part. Maybe next time we come back, we'll have some more time.”
Staten Island was eliminated from the LLWS on Tuesday night with a 6-1 loss to Florida.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
