Follow me on Twitter: @mk1157
Last night, the world saw a performance for the ages in the homerun derby by Aaron Judge, the latest in a long line of New York Yankees phenoms.
Judge even hit the roof, smashing a shot over 500 ft.
As somebody who has lived in the NY area for most of my adult life, I really enjoy it when one of the local teams has a player of this high caliber. Judge not only won the homerun derby, he has completely taken baseball by storm this season, leading the league in nearly every offensive category as a rookie.
But I’m just as impressed with his character as I am with his baseball skills.
Judge was adopted, and although that can really eat at a person, it has only seemed to make him a better person. He is, by all accounts, incredibly close with the parents who raised him, even saying publicly that he still calls to talk to them every single day.
As a father myself, I have to admit I got a little misty eyed when I read about that. I am very close with my children and we would do anything for each other. It truly warms my heart when I see other parents and children who feel the same way.
Judge is also very serious about his faith, but not in a way that would put off those of other faiths. His faith and strong parental upbringing appear to be building blocks upon which his strong foundation of character has been constructed. Whether or not you are a person of faith yourself, this is a foundation that everybody can universally respect.
Famous people should not necessarily be role models. They are often just people who are extremely talented at something that has thrust them into the spotlight whether they wanted to be famous or not.
That said, it is nice when a star emerges who comes across as a genuinely good person and a suitable role model for the youth. Aaron Judge is only 25 years old, and obviously a lot can change. But as of now, he seems very much like somebody I would be happy to have my own son aspire to be like, both on and off the baseball field. It is for that reason, in addition to his incredible athletic skills, that I will cheer especially hard for his success and look forward to hopefully watching him ply his craft at a high level for many years to come.