Gov. Ned Lamont frustrated with Aaron Judge walks, posts video calling for baseball rule change
Like many baseball fans throughout the state, Gov. Ned Lamont tuned in to watch Aaron Judge continue his chase of Roger Maris’ American League home run record on Tuesday night.
And just like a lot of other fans, Lamont is getting a little sick of seeing the Yankees slugger walk to the plate one swing away from history, only to see him keep walking— to first base— over and over again.
In fact, he was so upset that he posted a Twitter video on Wednesday suggesting a baseball rule change.
“Last night I tuned in to watch Aaron Judge, to see if he could break Roger Maris’ home run record. Instead, I saw the Toronto Blue Jays walk him four straight times,” Lamont said.
“New rule, let’s try this out. You walk a slugger like Aaron Judge once, he takes first base. You walk him twice in the same game, he gets first base and second base. You walk him three times in a game, you get the idea. You walk him four times like Toronto did last night, you might as well pitch to him. It’s the equivalent of a home run. Let the batter bat.”
Lamont’s frustration is certainly felt by a lot of Yankees fans.
Judge hasn’t homered in seven games since hitting his 60th of the season on Sept. 20. In 30 plate appearances since, he’s walked 11 times, including six times over the first two games of the series in Toronto.
It’s not exactly as though Judge hasn’t seen any pitches during this stretch, though. He’s hitting 5-for-19 (.263) with three doubles in the seven games and has struck out eight times. He hasn’t driven in a run since the 60th homer.
“I’ll take four walks in a win every day,” Judge told reporters in Toronto after the game. He hasn’t voiced much frustration during his homerless streak, though it is now his second-longest drought of the season. He went 41 plate appearances without going yard from Aug. 12-22.
With pressure mounting, Judge now has eight games left to try and reach Maris’ record, set back in 1961.
The Yankees face the Blue Jays again Wednesday night before returning to the Bronx for their final three home games of the season, against the Orioles. They’ll close out the season with a four-game series in Texas.
