For a star player, being called "weak in big games" is a harsh judgment. Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees' "clean home run king," is taking the brunt of the criticism.
According to NJ.com in New Jersey on the 26th (Korean time), criticism of Judge has continued after the United States team finished as runner-up in the World Baseball Classic (WBC). Judge played in seven games, going 6-for-27 with a .222 batting average, 2 home runs, 5 RBIs and 5 runs scored.
Some compared him to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen of the National Football League (NFL), saying he falls short of expectations in big games.
But CC Sabathia, a left-hander and a 251-win major league legend, offered a different interpretation. On a recent broadcast with K. Adams, he said, "The case most similar to Judge is Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod)," adding, "Both players achieved great success with the Yankees, but there is a perception they don't deliver as expected on the October stage."
Rodriguez was a superstar who won the American League MVP three times and was considered a sure Hall of Famer from early in his career. But he long carried the reputation of leaving fans disappointed in decisive postseason moments.
But the 2009 postseason changed all of that attention.
Sabathia said, "Judge showed enough in last season's postseason," and added, "I think he'll have a postseason like A-Rod in 2009, hitting 10 home runs in one postseason." He went on to say, "Until he produces those results, comparisons with athletes from other sports will continue."
In reality, Judge's postseason record is not as poor as public perception suggests. But in New York, "perception" influences as much as performance. The only way to completely change that is to prove it with results.
Sabathia also expressed confidence in the Yankees' current roster. He said they have enough competitiveness given their deep starting rotation, powerful lineup and the league's best hitter in his prime holding the fort.
He was confident Judge would eventually dominate the postseason like "A-Rod of 2009." And when that moment comes, he predicted, the current criticism will naturally disappear.
[OSEN]