Welcome to the Judge’s Chamber

Lets Play Catch!

Fans often ask for baseballs before a game. One day, in my first full season with the Yankees, between innings, a kid asked for a ball. I saw he had a glove, so I tossed him one, and then put my glove up for him to toss it back. The kid didn’t really want to give up his souvenir, but other fans encouraged him, and so we began playing catch. Oftentimes, between innings, players throw just to make sure their arm is loose. This day however, rather than someone coming out from the bullpen to throw with me, I thought ‘sure, this will work’. For the next thirty seconds or so, we tossed the ball back and forth. Just like that, a memory was made! Not just for that kid, but also for me. With our schedules and preparations, sometimes it is hard to connect one-on-one with our fans. Finding that kid with his glove to throw with, reminds me of being a kid, and how much it meant to have someone to play catch with.

When I was growing up, sometimes practicing baseball seemed too much like work. My Dad would remind me that it was ok if I didn’t want to practice, however, there were other kids that wanted to get better, and they would be happy to take my spot on the field. I would begrudgingly grab my mitt and we would go outside. Once we started tossing the ball around, I remembered how much fun it was. How nice it was to hang with my dad, doing something as simple as throwing the ball back and forth. Sometimes we would talk about my day at school, or time with my friends. Nothing big, but looking back, it made it easy to just share stories about our day. He worked long hours but was always willing to give me some of his time, and I am thankful for that.

With MLB COVID protocols in place, along with games without fans last season, I haven’t been able to have those catches with kids in right field. I miss them. The fans are a reminder of why we work hard to play this game. That short time playing catch reminds me of the value of time spent with someone else, and the importance of connecting with others. ALL RISE was founded with the idea of encouraging kids to reach unlimited possibilities. I’d like to encourage kids in lots of ways to do what they love, and to reach for their dreams. Maybe, in some small way, if we would find time to spend with a young person - having a catch, reading a book, or whatever - kids will feel valued, special, and unafraid to chase their dreams.