Sixteen years. That’s how long it has been since the New York Yankees last held the championship trophy. For a franchise that’s built on winning, this drought just feels unbearable right now. But last season, they got a taste—a taste of what could be. And now they are hungrier than ever to finish on a high which they missed last season.
Except there is one big problem.
Spring training hasn’t been a lucky bucket for the team. Just weeks from the opening day, their stars are sidelined with injuries. Right from Gerrit Cole to Giancarlo Stanton to Luis Gil. Yankees fans have already given up before the season started. But if you ask Aaron Judge, he would say there is no room for doubt- they are here to win.
Aaron Judge is simply unfazed by the fact that three of their players are on the outs. He knows it is a loss, but he also knows they need to bolster the front no matter what. Speaking to The New York Post’s Jon Heyman, Aaron Judge said, “Nobody in this room is fazed, which I think has been incredible … nobody in this room is hit that hard. You miss Gerrit Cole, one of the best pitchers in the game … Luis Gil, who emerged as probably our second-best starter last season … Big G is not being in there. You can’t replace a Cole. You can’t replace a Luis Gil. But I think we’ve got some young guys I feel are going to step up.” Clearly, for him, the Yankees don’t make excuses.
In Aaron Judge’s eyes, it’s now time for the up-and-comers to step it up. “I really think it’s a great opportunity for some of the young guys to step up. You can’t be a young guy forever.” And the Yankees do have some young talent they can rely on. The names Judge feels will play a role in keeping the team are, of course, Jazz Chisholm, Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells, Ben Rice, and Will Warren.
It clearly won’t be a simple start for the New York Yankees with their thin starting depth. But Judge has his focus on the bigger picture—winning the championship. For Judge, holding back because of missing veterans is not a choice.
Aaron Judge’s reaction as Yankees retract a major rule
Now while the New York Yankees are dealing with unexpected setbacks on the field, they have also made changes that have nothing to do with injuries. They made a change that even fans didn’t see coming. For the first time in half a century, the Yankee players are now free to grow beards! This is the franchise breaking a tradition that has been going on since 1976. But Hal Steinbrenner himself confirmed it, saying it was a move to showcase the franchise’s modern shift. Now there were rumors that they were doing this so they didn’t miss out on players like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. And it does seem to be a happy confidence.
Doesn’t help that even Vladimir Guerrero mentioned that the Yankees are very much on his radar! But not everyone is down to chuck their razor just yet, at least not Judge. “I got drafted by this organization, so the very first day I was here, I’ve been shaving since 2013. This is what I know; this is what I’m used to. I look around the building and look at old photos of the past legends and people that played here; they all followed that rule, so I just tried to follow on their path,” said Yankee captain Aaron Judge.
However, he supports the change and agrees with Steinbrenner that lifting off this rule might attract many other players to the team. “If it gets us a couple more players that’ll help us win games, everybody will be on board for that.” For sure, though, it will be a chance to see players rocking beards and pinstripes. But times sure have changed.
Legends of the franchise like Derek Jeter now too have started sporting facial hair. But no matter the grooming choice, Judge’s message is the same—the Yankees are here to win, beard or sans beard.
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