Behind a successful major leaguer, there is usually one or two very hard-working, dedicated parents who sacrificed sleep, money, resources and energy to help the child realize his dream of playing in the bigs. MLB.com originally ran a story about Aaron Judge and his “Superwoman” mother in 2017, but it is worth remembering the details that make the relationship between the New York Yankees star and his mom so special.
Why “Superwoman”? Well, Judge has said that everytime he returns home in Linden, California, he has to check his parent’s closet to see if a Superwoman cape hasn’t appeared there some time in the last 28 years.
Sure, Yankees’ fans know Aaron Judge ever since he broke into the majors and won the AL Rookie of the Year award by hitting 52 home runs in 2017. Some of them have memories of him as a prospect. However, it is his mother who has been there through thick and thin ever since the day after he was born.
According to Judge, his mother influences every decision he makes, and he describes her as “an incredibly caring individual.â€
“I know I wouldn’t be a New York Yankee if it wasn’t for my mom,” Judge said. “The guidance she gave me as a kid growing up, knowing the difference from right and wrong, how to treat people and how to go the extra mile and put in extra work, all that kind of stuff. She’s molded me into the person that I am today.”
Patty and Wayne Judge were retires schoolteachers, and of course they made sure to persuade young Aaron into making education a top priority in his life.
The Yankees star had love and guidance from the beginning
“It’s helped me try to live to a higher standard,” Judge said. “They wanted me to always make sure I put education first and make sure I prioritized everything. If I was going to make plans, stick to them. Make sure I’m on a tight schedule and make sure I don’t miss anything.”
Maybe Aaron resisted a little on bit on the idea when he was young, but now, he sees everything clearly.
“I wanted to go outside and play with my friends or play some video games, but they were tough on me,” Judge said. “They’d say, ‘Hey, you’ve got homework to do. You’ve got to finish your math homework and science homework. Then if you have time left over before dinner, you can go play.’ Something like that. I didn’t like it as a kid, but looking back on it, I really appreciate what they did for me.”
Patty and Wayne adopted baby Aaron the day after he was born, in April 1992. At some point, he knew he didn’t look like his parents.
“I think it was like, ‘I don’t look like you, Mom. I don’t look like you, Dad. Like, what’s going on here?'” Judge said. “They just kind of told me I was adopted. I was like, ‘OK, that’s fine with me.’ You’re still my mom, the only mom I know. You’re still my dad, the only dad I know.
“Nothing really changed. I honestly can’t even remember too much, because it wasn’t that big of a deal. They just told me I was adopted, and I said, ‘OK, can I go outside and play?'”
The New York Yankees’ premier slugger has an excellent relationship with his parents. They speak every day and they frequently join him in baseball season.
Judge has a Mother’s day message for her: “I’ll just thank her again for everything she’s done, and tell her again I know I wouldn’t be in the position I am now if it wasn’t for her love and guidance,” Judge said.