CNN
—
The New York Yankees have defended their star player Aaron Judge when he was accused of ignoring a team of Little League players during the 2024 Little League World Classic earlier this week.
According to the Staten Island Advance, South Shore Little League manager Bob Laterza said Judge “failed” to pay attention to his team before and during the Yankees’ game against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.
“How about you turn around or wave to New York and the kids who think you’re a hero?” Laterza said earlier this week after the game in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. “They’re the ones who pay your salary.”
On Tuesday, the Yankees responded by calling Judge “one of our sport’s greatest ambassadors” and adding that the Little League coach “could learn a lot from him.”
The Yankees’ statement continued: “He is a role model worth celebrating – not only for his skills and achievements on the field – but also for the way he wholeheartedly dedicates himself to making a positive impact on those who look up to him.”
“Our entire squad spent the day in Williamsport and met as many Little Leaguers as possible before our game, including the team from Staten Island. We commend all of our players for giving their full attention to the hundreds of children who were by their side literally from the moment the Yankees landed in Williamsport, all evening long.”
Judge and Yankees manager Aaron Boone declined to comment on the allegations Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.
“I don’t have an answer to that,” Judge said. “I’m not going to give him an answer because it’s about the children. That’s what it’s about.”
Boone added that he would not “dignify that with an answer” and told the Associated Press: “Aaron Judge is as good to everyone as one can be.”
The South Shore Little League team was eliminated from the Little League World Series on Tuesday.
The Little League World Series pits the best American and international Little League teams against each other each year in Williamsport. The winner of the U.S. bracket will face the winner of the international bracket in the final on August 25. The MLB Little League World Classic — which was launched in 2017 and is held annually at Journey Bank Ballpark in historic Bowman Field — is held alongside the competition for younger players to encourage the development of youth baseball.
According to MLB, the game helps players “demonstrate their commitment to developing the game at the youth level and engaging young fans.”
The 2025 edition will feature the New York Mets and the Seattle Mariners.
