The Yankees supported Aaron after Aaron Judge criticized the Little League coach for not paying attention to the little players.
New York — The New York Yankees They defended fiercely Aaron Judge South Shore Little League coach Bob Laterza criticized the star hitter for what he felt wasn't enough attention for his team on Sunday when he traveled to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, to play in the Little League Classic.
In a statement, the Yankees called Judge “one of our sport's greatest ambassadors” and noted that “our team spent the day connecting with as many Little League players as they could in front of our team, including Staten Island, in Williamsport.”
Latersaw told the Staten Island Advance that many Yankees, including the manager Aaron Boonethe ticket Gerrit Cole and outfielder Jason Dominguez met with their team before the game against the Yankees. Detroit TigersAdding that the judge is not one of them.
On Tuesday, Latersa said Judge ignored his players when he called his name while in the on-deck circle during the Yankees' loss at Bowman Field, leaving his team disappointed.
“How do you get back to New York and the kids who think you're a hero or (say hello)?” “They're the ones who pay you.”
The Yankees said Wednesday that the schedule was not arranged “by the Yankees or our players” and that “when Staten Island was played on Sunday, our players made every effort to spend time with the Tigers in the moments leading up to our game.”
“We wish Staten Island every success in winning the championship,” the Yankees' statement read. “Win or lose, we want to invite them to Yankee Stadium. However, it would have been nice if the Staten Island coach had called us and gotten the facts right before reacting so publicly in such a bitter way. Be sensible and set a good example for his young players.
“Aaron Judge always acts with grace and respect. Coach can learn a lot from him.”
Boone said Wednesday: “I'm not going to dignify (Latersaw's comments) with a response. Aaron Judge is the best.”
Judge, who won the 2023 Roberto Clemente Award for his foundation's work with youth, was seen spending time with Little League players from various teams throughout Sunday. His parents, Patty and Wayne Judge, were named the 2024 Little League Parents of the Year in Williamsport on Sunday.
“(Aaron Judge) is a role model who deserves to be celebrated not only for his skills and accomplishments on the field, but he wholeheartedly embraces the positive impact he has on those who watch him,” a Yankees statement said.
The judge declined to participate in Wednesday's exchange when asked about Latersaw's comments.
The judge said the answer was no. “I'm not going to answer you because it's about the kids. That's what it is. We had a chance to spend a lot of time with a lot of kids at Williamsport and make great memories. We had a good time. In the game, you know, despite the loss, so that's what I want to focus on.
“I don't really want to give importance to opinions. I play in front of 40,000 people every night and if I go 1-0 they will boo me, so I'm not willing to put any weight on it.”
The South Shore Little League team won the Metro Regional to advance to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, where they started 2-0 before losing their next two games. The team was eliminated from the tournament with a loss to Florida on Tuesday.
