New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge grew up watching Barry Bonds pepper Oracle Park with mammoth home runs, fulfilling a childhood dream by adding three of his own in his debut series in the stadium.
The Yankees' 7-5 comeback win on Sunday capped a three-game series sweep over the host Giants, with Judge delivering a blockbuster performance that included a 464-foot home run -- one of three he hit in the series -- into the left field bleachers in the ballpark he grew up attending.
On top of Judge's Northern California roots, the 2022 AL MVP also will forever be tied to the Giants after a report mistakingly suggested the slugger was headed to the Bay Area as a free agent two years ago. When asked about how the fiasco impacted his first experience at San Francisco's home ballpark, Judge revealed he enjoyed the noise from the crowd in attendance.
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"I heard it from the crowd quite a bit, quite a bit," Judge told reporters after Sunday's game. "It was fun, it gave the fans something to talk about, something to laugh about, but I'm glad to be with the Yankees doing our thing."
The Yankees slugger then explained that despite the crowd in the not-so-friendly confines booing him at every turn, he still enjoyed his first career series at the ballpark.
"This was a pretty fun weekend," Judge explained. "Getting the chance to come in here and get the sweep. It was a packed house, a lot of cheering; lot of booing, whatever kind of going on. I loved it, I loved it. I loved getting the chance to be out there, it lived up to it."
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Judge finished the three-game series going 6-for-10 with three home runs, six RBIs and three walks while giving Giants fans a painful glimpse of what could have been had he chosen San Francisco in his Dec. 2022 free agent sweepstakes.
While Giants fans won't be eager to see Judge and the Yankees again any time soon, you can bet the slugger will be looking forward to his next trip to Oracle Park.
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