Fan drops Aaron Judge’s 61st home run ball in embarrassing effort
Aaron Judge hit his 61st home run on the season against the Toronto Blue Jays tonight. But, sadly, the history-making ball flew harmlessly into the bullpen. The culprit? A fan who missed out on making the catch due to one of the most pitiful efforts I’ve ever seen.
Judge launched a 94 mph sinker off Toronto Blue Jays reliever Tim Mayza in the seventh inning tonight to help the Yankees secure an 8-3 win. More importantly, Judge’s 61st home run of the season tied Roger Maris for the most single-season home runs in American League history.Â
Watch the guy in the dark blue Jays jersey drop Judge’s 61st nuke:
Gut-wrenching. I mean, you have to go over the wall and catch it, right? If you are in left field and Aaron Judge is in town, you have to be on high alert at all times. No exceptions.
This was a financial mistake more than anything. Experts have estimated the ball to be worth $150,000 – on the low end. Others have estimated that it would fetch between $250,000 and $400,000 on the auction block.Â
He was in the perfect position to make the grab and failed miserably. He even had a glove on for the occasion. Also, very tough look for the fan in the light Blue Jersey who tried to be a hero by reaching over and snagging the ball. The only thing he contributed here was no one catching the baseball.
Just look at this…
The broadcast showcased his immense regret:
It’s no secret historic home run balls are coveted collectors items that can fetch a pretty penny. Just recently we saw the Yankees fan that caught Judge’s 60th bomb gave it back for pretty much nothing, and the sports world pretty universally roasted him for it.
Not everyone is a total idiot when they catch a home run ball. When Albert Pujols hit his 700th career homer, the fan that caught the ball outright refused to give it back, even after being approached by Cardinals officials with a similar deal. Now that’s much smarter.
Unfortunately for this chump, he won’t even be able to make that decision. It’s a damn shame, too, because that ball would net him around $250,000. It might be the most expensive drop in sports history, even more historic than the home run itself.
You know this guy chuckled to himself when he decided to bring the glove. “Yeah right, like it’ll come to me,” definitely crossed his mind on his way to the stadium.
Despite that, it came in his direction, and he completely whiffed on it. He was so close to a massive payday it makes me sick to my stomach.
Keep him in your prayers tonight.
Also, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, and Barry Bonds all hit more home runs than Aaron Judge and Roger Maris, so what are we even talking about here?
Think about it.
