After yet another two-homer game on Sunday in Milwaukee, Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has 59 home runs and is on the precipice of history. New York’s next six games are at home, which sets the stage for a terrific moment in the Bronx. But what if he hits his 62nd home run on Friday when the Yankees are on Apple TV? That’s where John Sterling of WFAN comes in to save the day.
Following this six-game homestand, New York is headed to Toronto to play the Blue Jays for three games before returning home to face the Baltimore Orioles. Ryan Ruocco was supposed to call the series in Toronto, but those plans have changed, says Andrew Marchand of the New York Post:
John Sterling will now call the rest of the Yankees' games on WFAN.
Ryan Ruocco was going to do the series in Toronto, but with Aaron Judge's HR pursuit Sterling wanted back on for all of them.
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) September 19, 2022
It was also noted in the replies to this tweet that Ruocco shared more details of this situation on the Michael Kay show. He reached out to people at WFAN and offered to step aside to let this happen. That’s a big-time good-guy move by Ruocco if you ask me.
As the regular season winds down and the Yankees keep pushing for a division title, there are lots of variables from a broadcasting standpoint. New York could be on YES. They could also be on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, FOX, or ESPN. The one constant fans can count on for this historic moment, though, is having Sterling in the radio booth to narrate it.
You’d imagine that when facing this kind of history, hitters start to press a bit at the plate trying to make something happen. You don’t get that sense from Judge at all, who is having a monstrous September.
Through 71 plate appearances this month, he’s slashing .491/.586/1.018 with eight home runs, 14 RBI, and 18 runs scored. That performance is worth a 334 wRC+, and this is after he posted a number above 200 in each of July and August.
Wondering whether Judge will make history has changed to wondering when it’ll happen. Hopefully not on Friday, but whenever it does, Sterling will be there to bring what’s likely to be one of the most enthusiastic home run calls of his career.
More on ESNY:
• Aaron Judge free agency: MLB insider thinks Mets will pursue slugger
• WATCH: Giants’ Daniel Bellinger scores 1st career TD vs. Panthers
• Francisco Lindor hits trifecta for Mets shortstop history
• Rex Ryan praises Giants’ Brian Daboll, says he’s ‘opposite’ of Joe Judge
• Forget 62. Will Yankees’ Aaron Judge get to 500 career home runs?
Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
