Yankees Support Aaron Judge After Facing Criticism From LLWS Coach
A grumbling Little League baseball coach was shut down by the New York Yankees after the coach took jabs at Bronx superstar Aaron Judge for not giving enough attention to his team.
Judge, regarded as a decent guy by all of baseball, but despised for his talent, allegedly "ignored" children asking for recognition from Judge during the Yanks' visit to the Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pennsylvania on Sunday.
Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
South Shore Little League coach Bob Laterza tried painting himself and his team as victims after criticizing Judge for "turning his back" on those who "pay his salary."
"How about turning around or [waving] to New York and the kids that think you're a hero," Laterza said, via the Staten Island Advance, mocking Judge. "They are the ones who pay your salary."
The coach tried twisting a schedule issue into an Aaron Judge issue. Seriously, it's one thing to mock the guy for killing teams, but trying to get free P.R. by calling him a bad guy … just a disgrace by the Little League coach.
The Yankees supported their Captain, who's shown a soft spot for children. Judge is even set to have a guest cameo in the "Paw Patrol" universe.
"We wish Staten Island success in winning the championship," the Yankees' statement read, via ESPN.
The team didn't just back Judge for spending time with the Little Leaguers, it also reprimanded the coach for his overblown reaction to not having his team meet Judge.
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees poses with Little League players prior to the game against the Detroit Tigers at Bowman Field on August 18, 2024. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT , Pa. - Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees signs autographs during a visit to the Little League International Complex on Sunday, August 18, 2024. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
"Win or lose, we intend to invite them to Yankee Stadium," the statement added. "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 coach could learn a lot from him."
Judge was asked about Laterza's claims and had "no response." Meanwhile, Yanks manager Aaron Boone firmly supported his star player with confidence against the coach's claims.
"I'm not even going to dignify [Laterza's comments] with a response. Aaron Judge is as good as it gets," Boone shared on Wednesday.
As for Coach Laterza … DBAP unless you need to SBAP.
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