“Made This Park Look Pretty Small”: Aaron Judge Opens Up on Barry Bonds’ Legendary Home Runs and Playing at Oracle Park

Stepping onto the hallowed grounds of Oracle Park, Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees’ towering slugger, couldn’t help but recall his childhood days. Those times when he’d gaze up at the bleachers, dreaming of playing under the San Francisco lights. This past weekend, those dreams became a reality as Judge returned to his Northern California roots for a series against the San Francisco Giants.

“Yeah, this was a pretty fun weekend getting a chance to come here and get the sweep,” Judge beamed in a post-game interview with YES Network. The packed house, the mix of cheers and boos, and the electric atmosphere brought back a flood of memories for the Linden native.

As a young fan, Aaron Judge used to idolize Giants legend Barry Bonds, whose mammoth home runs made Oracle Park seem like a Little League field. “All of Barry’s home runs, man,” the All-Rise reminisced. “I never got to see him in person, but watching on TV late night, he made this park look pretty small.”

Even with Judge’s own prodigious power, the spacious dimensions of Oracle Park still evoked a sense of awe. “It is definitely not small,” he smirked. “Even Juan [Soto], you know, I’ve seen Juan hit a lot of deep flies to right center, but I still got a little nervous on a couple of those.”

The vastness of the ballpark only amplified the significance of Gleyber Torres’ lead-off single in the Bombers’ ninth-inning rally. “That’s what started it right there,” Judge exclaimed. “For him to have a great at-bat, I think it kinda sparked everybody in the dugout, said ‘Hey, let’s go—let’s get up there, next man up.’” Judge’s own experience in that fateful ninth inning mirrored the team’s resilient spirit.

Aaron Judge’s team is forged in trust and camaraderie

“I think through the whole inning, guys were having great at-bats; they didn’t get a pitch past the next guy, and the next guy came up big,” the captain observed. “So it’s just, we felt like we were never out of the game.” This unwavering belief, instilled through countless spring training meetings, highlighted the trust and camaraderie that permeated the Yankees’ clubhouse.

The Bombers’ comeback victory, fueled by trust and a “next man up” mentality, showcased the team’s special character. “This is one of the best I’ve played on,” Aaron Judge declared, citing the pitching staff, the lineup’s communications, and the overall talent that is so evidently present in the clubhouse. But it was the ninth-inning resilience that truly set this team apart.

“I can go back over the years. How many games we know? Probably lose that game,” Judge reflected on his experiences. “But, you know, this team’s different.” Growing up in a multi-team area, his allegiance to the Los Gigantes was further solidified by his father’s fandom. “A lot of Giants fans in Linden,” he chuckled. “My dad was a Giants fan, and you gotta follow suit.”

For the captain, Oracle Park isn’t just your average ballpark; it’s a repository of dreams, a place where childhood aspirations collide with the reality of playing on a grand stage. And as he gazed up at the bleachers for one last time this month, one could almost imagine a young Aaron Judge, eyes wide with wonder, envisioning a future where he too would make this park look pretty small.