Aaron Judge has found himself in the eye of the storm, thanks to Little League coach Bob Laterza. The Staten Island coach accused the New York Yankee superstar of snubbing the kids after the Yankees game with Detroit. Laterza claims that despite his players repeatedly calling Aaron Judge to turn up and interact with his fans, he didn’t do it. This left Laterza with bitterness and he vented it out, saying, “How about turning around or wave to New York and the kids that think you’re a hero? They are the ones who pay your salary.”

Now the Yankees are in no mood to let the coach get away with his harsh words, especially when they claim the scenario was nothing as such. The franchise called out the coach’s story, saying that he should have gotten the facts straight before going around tossing such strong accusations against their player. It’s getting hot out here, phew!

The New York Yankees come in hot defending Aaron Judge

The Yankees were taken aback after hearing such bold claims made by coach Bob Laterza against their player. So they issued a long statement defending Aaron Judge, and it’s safe to say it paints an entirely different picture. According to the team, the players went above and beyond to devote their time to the hundreds of Little Leaguer children in attendance. Seems there’s more to this story than Laterza’s angry words!

The New York Yankees statement mentioned, “We commend all of our players for devoting their complete attention to the hundreds of kids who literally walked step-by-step alongside them from the moment the Yankees landed in Williamsport through the entirety of the evening. Our players were unequivocally committed to making the experience what it was intended to be–a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for young baseball players and their families from around the world to have meaningful and genuine interaction with some of Major League Baseball’s greatest players.”  

Yankees further mentioned that neither the organization nor their players organized any event on Sunday. It was only because Staten Island played on a Sunday that the Yankees players went out of their way to spend time with them before the game with the Detroit Tigers. Despite the major mix-up that coach Laterza seems to have made, the team extended an olive branch and invited the Staten Island team to come to the New York Yankees stadium.

“Win or lose, we intend to invite them to Yankee Stadium. However, it would have been much better if Staten Island’s coach called us to understand the facts before bitterly reacting in such a public fashion. Reaching out to us would have been the prudent way to act and would have set a fine example for his young players. Aaron Judge always acts with kindness and respect,” the statement mentioned.

Some sources even suggest that Aaron Judge, along with a few other players of the New York Yankees, spent the afternoon signing autographs for Little Leaguers after Staten Island won their game, hence proving that Judge may have been more involved than the coach realized.

Aaron Judge’s advice to Little League players

It’s no secret that Aaron Judge has always been interactive with fans, especially children, on the road and in the Bronx. And ahead of Sunday; Little League Classic game, the slugger did talk to the reporters about Little League. He remembered the time fondly when he himself was a Little League player.

Aaron Judge even went ahead to share special advice for all those budding Little Leaguers. He said via MLB.com, “Honestly, just have fun and keep working. Enjoy these moments, they’re going to go by quick. It feels like just yesterday I was back there playing Little League, but that’s over 20 years ago.

“Soak up every moment, hang out with your friends and keep working hard. You might be in the Little League World Series now, but you might be in the World Series in 20 years, who knows?” Judge further added.

These statements, well-wishes, and advice conveniently highlight that Aaron Judge is not what coach Bob Laterza painted him out to be. And kids love the New York Yankees slugger. As Judge stepped out from the team plane, cries of “Judge! Judge” echoed throughout. The Little Leaguers were mesmerized at how big the slugger really is. Aaron Judge didn’t shy away from the spotlight, he handed out pins, took photographs, and ensured that the fans were happy.

However, Laterza seems to have focused on just one missed moment, ignoring everything Aaron Judge did to make the day memorable for the young athletes.