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The home run ball was consigned to Goldin in November by Cory Youmans. He was sitting in the front row of section 31 in left field at Globe Life Field on Oct. 4 when Judge led off the second game of a doubleheader between the Yankees and Rangers and connected. — The ball New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit for his American League-record 62nd home run has sold for $1.5 million at auction. The Sept. 25 “Sunday Night Baseball” game drew 2.2 million viewers for ESPN and was the second most-viewed Sunday night game of the season only behind April 10’s Red Sox-Yanks matchup. What impressed Mace was that although the September game was up against the NFL, it still drew the largest “Sunday Night Baseball” audience against football since September 2010. First, one would have to have access to data that teams and broadcast networks don’t publicize, such as sponsorship sales and game-by-game media breakdowns.
Throughout the season, MLB polled fans on the sport’s most exciting player to watch. Shohei Ohtani was the dominant selection early in the season, before Judge vaulted to the top in the second half. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the attorney for the Texas man who caught the ball told the Worldwide Leader he rejected a $3 million offer before going to auction. At the time, he said he wasn't sure what he wanted to do with the ball.
Where the Yankees fit in a reshaped AL after Carlos Rodon addition
The next day, he reportedly received a $2 million offer for the ball from an auctioneer and turned it down. Fans knew the value of the ball and were willing to go all out to make millions if they snagged the record-breaking hit. One fan went so far as to leap out of the stands to try to make the catch as Judge's ball sailed over the fence.
It was for one hit by Mark McGwire on Sept. 27, 1998, to reach 70 for the season. Comic book creator and artist Todd McFarlane bought the ball. • Ten of 12 Yankees games between those days averaged at least 500,000 total viewers in the New York designated market area , and 11 of 12 had a peak viewership of at least 600,000.
Seller information
Fanatics, the dominant sports apparel seller, said that Judge was its best-selling MLB player in total merchandise sales this season. Judge was also Fanatics’ top finisher in total memorabilia sales in baseball, and second overall across all sports behind only Tom Brady. The man who caught Aaron Judge's record-breaking 62nd home run ball was always going to make a pretty penny once he sold his prize.
• Judge might not just win the home run race -- he has an outside chance to win a batting Triple Crown, as he leads the AL with 61 homers and 131 RBIs and ranks second with a .311 batting average, behind only Luis Arraez. Judge would be the first Triple Crown winner since Miguel Cabrera in 2012 and the third Yankee to win one, along with Mantle in 1956 and Lou Gehrig in 1934. This season, Judge has surpassed every Yankees legend -- Maris' 61 homers in 1961, Ruth's 60 in 1927, Mickey Mantle's 52 in 1956 and so many more.
Many consider Judge to now be the true all-time record holder
Judge reached the century milestone with a two-run, first-inning blast off Seattle starter Yusei Kikuchi, giving his club a quick lead with a line drive that dented the center-field batter's eye at T-Mobile Park. Qualifying purchases could enjoy No Interest if paid in full in 6 months on purchases of $99 or more. The Yanks were down 8-4 when Judge hit the blast, but it kickstarted a huge comeback for the Yanks who won on a walk-off Giancarlo Stanton grand slam to beat the Pirates, 9-8. Judge said in a conference call before the auction that he was not going to bid on the ball.
Could the Yankees have tried some combination of, say, Carlos Correa and Brandon Nimmo to replace Judge? But it would have cost more in the aggregate, and the Yankees knew Judge worked with their team and their fan base. Hal Steinbrenner decided he needed Judge for his roster, his television network, his attendance, his marketing and — perhaps most vital of all — for the owner’s reputation against the mounting criticism and boos. This began with the Yankees not believing their best player would leave, that he needed them more than they needed him. Their late offers followed a trajectory with which Judge had become familiar — All Rise. The home run snapped a five-game homerless drought for Judge.
Baseball AlmanacCombined with a $250,000 buyer’s premium, that resulted in the final price. Youmans did not comment on the sale price in his statement. Judge, who has never been connected to performance-enhancing drugs, was praised by many, including Roger Maris’s family, for breaking the American League single-season record without controversy.
"When he’s locked in at his best, he’s the best player on the field," Brett Gardner said. "I think we’re seeing that the last week or so. He's really getting his body in a good position and great approach at the plate. He always has his share of walks, gets on base and keeps the line moving." "You try not to think about it, but it creeps into your head," Judge said, adding there was "definitely some relief" after breaking a seven-game homerless streak. Judge becomes the fourth player to hit at least 62 home runs in a season. The other three — Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa — have all been linked to performance-enhancing drugs.
Judge’s $40 million per is way more than Trout’s annual value. He went from being questioned about the sanity of spurning so much guaranteed money on the brink of the 2022 season to the largest winning bet in the history of the sport. Regardless of what the Padres or Giants were willing to do, Judge got what he wanted — to stay a Yankee on his terms. Entering Tuesday's doubleheader, he was leading the majors in homers, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, total bases, OPS+ and runs scored. His 130 RBI and 111 walks also led the AL, while his .311 batting average was second in the AL.
ESPN did live cut-ins to Judge at-bats during the chase. Many sponsors are set heading into a given season, but ad sales nonetheless benefited right away during the chase. “The historical and mythical nature that he is right now — I do believe this is the first time a player could have left New York and carried most of that momentum with him. Someone was willing to pay that much for Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball in the 1998 MLB season. Sports memorabilia prices have exploded in recent years, and Youmans followed the trends and expected Judge's ball to break that record. Instead, Youmans, who is a financial adviser for Fisher Investments in Dallas, got half of that at the auction, which had six recorded bids, the final of which was for $1.25 million.
Tuesday's shot came off of Judge's bat at 114.1 mph and carried a projected distance of 462 feet, per Statcast. The 30-year-old is slated to become a free agent this offseason after he turned down an eight-year, $230.5 million offer from the Yankees before the season. All he’s done since declining that offer is have one of the best offensive seasons the game has ever seen and become the front-runner for the AL MVP Award.
At a high level, what stands out about Judge is that the marketing of baseball just doesn’t usually revolve around a single player. From a secondary angle, regional sports networks can be in an annoying position when the spotlight shines on their team. National partners — like ESPN — want more Yankees content, both during the 2022 season and going forward.
He’ll get paid
Once secured to a long-term deal, the Yankees can officially grant him the prestigious title of team captain, their first since Derek Jeter. When they declare no one will outbid them, they follow through. Judge hit the 62nd home run of the 2022 season on Oct. 4 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. In an interview with The Action Network, Youman explained why he passed on the private offer.
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