Editorial Content for 62: Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees, and the Pursuit of Greatness
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
I cannot think of a writer who is better suited to chronicle one of the biggest sports stories in recent memory than longtime MLB.com beat reporter Bryan Hoch.
Hoch promised New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge that 62 would not be just about his pursuit of 62 home runs, but a season-long saga of the Yankees organization and the teammates who helped make this incredible achievement possible. Judge is all about team first and personal statistics second, which makes reading this book such a delight. Judge is almost too good to be true in an age when selfishness seems to rule the sports world. He is a true role model who you cannot help but like and root for, even if you are not a Yankees fan.
"[This engaging book] does not leave you wanting anything, providing a front-row seat to one of the greatest single-season achievements and years in the history of Major League Baseball."
The foreword is written by Roger Maris Jr. In 1961, his father surpassed the single-season home run record of fellow Yankee and beloved Hall of Famer Babe Ruth. Throughout 62, we are taken back to that magical season and the difficult time that Maris had chasing down a baseball legend when so many people wanted him to fail. It is worth noting that Maris Jr. recognizes Judge’s 62 as the true record. Baseball fans understand that Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa all surpassed this number, but did so under the cloud of performance-enhancing drugs. Judge’s clean pursuit is indeed a spectacle to be in awe of and appreciate.
Hoch has put together a game-by-game recounting of the Yankees 2022 season with specific reference to the games in which Judge hit a home run. He clearly shows how the support of the entire team helped Judge shoulder some of the weight involved in breaking the record as they were trying to put themselves in the best position possible for a deep playoff run. We also see Judge through the eyes of his family and prior coaches and teammates as he was groomed for athletic success early on.
What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that Judge had turned down a $213.5 million extension just prior to the start of the regular season and insisted that he would not be involved in any salary negotiations until the season ended. Many people respected the fact that he bet on himself to have an outstanding year and get what he knew he was truly worth.
Even though most baseball fans expected Judge to break the record, it became an intense race to the finish. He only regretted not being able to do it in front of his home crowd. Home run #62 came on October 4th in Texas against Rangers pitcher Jesus Tinoco. Now, with all this drama behind him, Judge could focus on doing all he could to help his team win a championship.
Although the Yankees did not get to the World Series, Judge nearly won the Triple Crown, coming in second in batting average and first in home runs and RBIs. He went into the offseason as a free agent and re-signed with the Yankees at a well-deserved rate for a player of his caliber. He also was named the team’s 16th captain.
As a lifelong Yankees fan, I could talk about Judge and his home run record forever. But I believe that readers would benefit more by picking up this engaging book. It does not leave you wanting anything, providing a front-row seat to one of the greatest single-season achievements and years in the history of Major League Baseball.
Teaser
Aaron Judge, the hulking superman who carried an easy aw-shucks demeanor from small-town California to stardom in the Big Apple, had long established his place as one of baseball’s most intimidating power hitters. Baseballs frequently rocketed off his bat like cannon fire, dispatching heat-seeking missiles toward the “Judge’s Chambers” seating area in right field, sending delirious fans scattering for souvenirs. But even in a high-tech universe where computers measure each swing to the nth degree, Roger Maris’ American League mark of 61 home runs seemed largely out of reach. In 62, veteran Yankees beat reporter Bryan Hoch unravels the remarkable journey of Judge’s run to shatter Maris’ beloved 61-year-old record.
Promo
Aaron Judge, the hulking superman who carried an easy aw-shucks demeanor from small-town California to stardom in the Big Apple, had long established his place as one of baseball’s most intimidating power hitters. Baseballs frequently rocketed off his bat like cannon fire, dispatching heat-seeking missiles toward the “Judge’s Chambers” seating area in right field, sending delirious fans scattering for souvenirs. But even in a high-tech universe where computers measure each swing to the nth degree, Roger Maris’ American League mark of 61 home runs seemed largely out of reach. In 62, veteran Yankees beat reporter Bryan Hoch unravels the remarkable journey of Judge’s run to shatter Maris’ beloved 61-year-old record.
About the Book
“The definitive story” (Tyler Kepner, New York Times baseball columnist) of Yankees slugger Aaron Judge’s incredible, unparalleled run to break Roger Maris’ home run record and the franchise both men called home.
Aaron Judge, the hulking superman who carried an easy aw-shucks demeanor from small-town California to stardom in the Big Apple, had long established his place as one of baseball’s most intimidating power hitters. Baseballs frequently rocketed off his bat like cannon fire, dispatching heat-seeking missiles toward the “Judge’s Chambers” seating area in right field, sending delirious fans scattering for souvenirs.
But even in a high-tech universe where computers measure each swing to the nth degree, Roger Maris’s American League mark of sixty-one home runs seemed largely out of reach. It had been more than a decade since baseball wiped clean the stains of its performance-enhanced era, in which cartoonish sluggers Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds made a mockery of the record book.
Given a more level playing field against pitchers sporting hellacious arsenals unlike anything Babe Ruth or Maris could have imagined, only an exceptional talent could even consider making a run at sixty-one homers. Judge, who placed the bet of his life by turning down a $213.5 million extension on the eve of the regular season, promised to rise to the challenge.
“In the most thorough telling yet of an all-time-great Yankees performance” (Jeff Passan, New York Times bestselling author), veteran Yankees beat reporter Bryan Hoch unravels the remarkable journey of Judge’s run to shatter Maris’s beloved 61-year-old record. In-depth, inspiring and with an expert’s insight, 62 also investigates the more significant questions raised in a season unlike any other, including how --- and where --- Judge will deliver his encore.
Audiobook available, read by Cary Hite
