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While Aaron Judge is on pace to break Roger Maris’ American League home-run record before the season ends, the New York Yankees legend’s son wishes the brooding outfielder would’ve made a stance on the so-called "real" record.
Judge acknowledged that Barry Bonds had the single-season home run record despite the cloud the steroid era in baseball had over the former San Francisco Giants slugger.
"The record’s the record," Judge told reporters following the Yankees’ doubleheader sweep of the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday. "That’s what I go by. I watched him as a kid flip the ball into the bay with ease. That hasn’t changed."
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Yankees' Aaron Judge celebrates with Gleyber Torres after hitting a home run against the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Maris initially set the record in 1961 with 61 home runs in a single season. He and teammate Mickey Mantle were chasing Babe Ruth’s record. Maris would never hit more than 33 homers after that season. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa would both break Maris’ mark in 1998 with Bonds later doing it in 2001.
The legitimacy of those marks is debated among baseball experts.
Roger Maris Jr. told the New York Post on Wednesday he was disappointed that Judge didn’t outright call his father’s mark the real record.
"I think a lot of people still look at dad’s as the real record. So that was surprising to me," Maris told the newspaper.
Yankees' Aaron Judge rounds the bases after hitting a home run during a doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
"He’s got a lot on the line if that’s what he believes. So he better start hitting more of them. Maybe he is going after Bonds, with the way he’s killing it lately."
Maris noted the differences between Judge’s pursuit of his father’s mark and when his father was pursuing his own record.
"It shows how strong and consistent he is. But the circumstances are way different. Dad was chasing Ruth and had [Mickey] Mantle with him. No one wanted him to get it: The writers, the commissioner, the fans. It seems like everyone is pulling for Judge," Maris said.
"We like Dad having the record, but records are made to be broken and you have to like greatness and getting to see it. You’d be crazy not to applaud what he’s doing."
Roger Maris displays the ball he blasted for his 61st home run of the season. (Getty Images)
Judge clobbered his 55th home run of the season against the Twins in the afternoon game.
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Not only is Judge leading the majors in home runs, but he also tops the charts in RBIs (118), walks (85), slugging percentage (.683), OPS (1.090), OPS+ (205) and total bases (334).