Talk about dropping the ball. New York Yankees star Aaron Judge hit his 61st home run of the season Wednesday night, tying the American League record — but leaving at least one person with good reason to frown, despite having just witnessed baseball history firsthand.
A Toronto Blue Jays fan sitting in the left-field stands at Toronto’s Rogers Centre, where Judge blasted the home run that tied fellow Yankees slugger Roger Maris for the league single-season record, was almost ideally positioned — and even equipped — for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Unfortunately, the ball glanced off his glove and landed in the Blue Jays bullpen below. And a potentially huge payoff slipped through his fingers.
The fan was later revealed to be a 37-year-old Toronto restaurant owner, who reportedly gave his name as Frankie Lasagna to the Canadian Press. He said normally he “would never ever bring a glove other than this situation,” with his left-field seat a reasonably likely landing spot for a home run by the right-handed-hitting Judge and history on the line. In video footage, the fan appears visibly upset after missing the ball and his chance to be a bit player in baseball history. “The disbelief comes over you and just the shock and the amazement,” he said. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, I almost had it.’ “ Don’t miss: Aaron Judge looks to break American League home-run record — and then get the Yankees to break the bank Opinion: Aaron Judge hits 61st homer, but can he save Major League Baseball from itself? David Kohler, CEO of California auction house SCP Auctions Inc., estimated the value of a ball hit for Judge’s home 61st home run could be between $200,000 and $250,000. And if this was Judge’s last home-run ball of the season, it could end up being valued at more than $1 million. See: Aaron Judge’s milestone home run balls could be worth millions “The Yankees are beloved,” Kohler said. “Aaron Judge is beloved. There’s no negativity here like the steroid era in the past.” (Th …