For the New York Yankees fans, I’ve done hundreds of articles about the games and players. I’ve also delved into the Yankee’s rich history. I have done biographies of all of the present players. But those biographies center around the baseball player. Although I’ve done a biography of Aaron Judge, today I thought I would look at his biography, not so much as Aaron Judge, the baseball player but who is the man we know as Aaron Judge.
Judge is a starting outfielder and home run hitter for the New York Yankees, we know his stats, and we know of his injuries, and we know how popular he is with Yankee fans. But taking a closer look at that super tall hulk of a macho man is actually a super representation of what it means to live up to the ideals of the Yankees. Many think that past Yankee Star Derek Jeter was the epitome of that ideal. Time will tell, but if how Aaron Judge conducts his life is an example of the man he is, he may well give Derek Jeter a run for his money.
In years past, it was difficult to get to know the players other than their performance on the field. Sportswriters would report on the day’s game and the stats, but often any personal information about them only came out if they had a bar fight, got arrested, or some other publishable news. Today all that has changed. Some players are very private about their private lives, and others like Aaron Judge regularly participate in social media that reveal much about their experiences.
So what have we learned about that superstar Aaron Judge? Obviously he’s a star baseball player, but he also loves football especially watching the playoff games. He loves his friends and fellow players; he instead praises a fellow player than talk about himself. He loves dogs and is a big fan of children that love baseball. He is more profound than many may think. His Twitter header carries the Corinthians “For we live by faith, not by sight.â€Â His very first post reads as follows:Â
Christian. Faith, Family, then Baseball. “If what you did yesterday still seems big today, then you haven’t done anything today!â€
Judge loves children. He makes every attempt to greet them to sign baseballs and give them his gloves, bat, or cap. He frequently pulls them from the stands so their parents can get a photo of their child with the Yankee star. Many would feel that doing this was a chore, but just watching Judge you can tell he loves it, even seeking out young Yankee fans in away parks. It is not uncommon to see him play catch with young New York Yankee fans when there is a pause in play.
Aaron Judge has a long time girlfriend Samantha Bracksieck that were high school sweethearts and went on to attend Fresno State University together. Bracksieck earned a graduate degree in exercise science and is an aspiring professor. Recently Judge got a gut punch when she made a bad decision and was arrested for a DUI infraction.
Even though Bracksieck was involved in this arrest, those who know her well know that she is a down to earth person and are in full support of her and Aaron Judge. Bracksieck received a care package from Luke Voit’s wife Tori along with Jonathan Holder’s wife Nicole.
Simply put, this hulk of a man is a softy and of high moral values that cherish being a Yankee and all that that involves. Below is a video of some of the many times Aaron Judge has reached out to his youngest admirers.
EmpireSportsMedia.com’s Columnist William Parlee is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. Follow me on Twitter @parleewilliam