Does Aaron Judge Need To Win a World Series Before He Can Be Named Captain?
In 2017, the right fielder for the New York Yankees was not only the talk of the town, but he was without a doubt the most intriguing player in baseball. At 6-feet and 7-inches tall, Aaron Judge towered over everybody both in stature and in home run hitting capabilities. He smashed 52 no-doubters and helped a young Yankees core charge into the Postseason. But here is the question:
Does he need to win a World Series before he can become the 12th Captain of the New York Yankees?
Many people compare Aaron Judge to Derek Jeter. You hear things like, “He plays the game the right way,” and, “He is a first class player.” Jeter was the last Yankees’ captain, an honor which was bestowed upon him in 2003. Jeter already had four World Series titles at that point, including a World Series MVP performance in the 2000 Subway Series. Just like Judge, the former captain was the AL Rookie of the Year winner in his first full season after a sub-par performance in a call-up at the end of the year prior. There are plenty of similarities between No. 2 and No. 99, but the lack of a World Series ring for Judge often becomes the main point for those who think he has not earned the right to be called “Captain” quite yet.
Before Jeter, the Yankees’ captain was none other than Donny Baseball. Don Mattingly played for the Yankees from 1982 to 1995. He was named captain in 1991 despite never winning a World Series. Now, it took Donny nine seasons (including partial seasons) to climb to the rank of Captain. Judge is in his sixth season with the Yankees, so it is not out of the realm of possibility that he can be given the honor soon without a successful Fall Classic trip to his name.
Willie Randolph and Ron Guidry, who each won the World Series in 1977 and 1978 with the Yanks, served as co-captains of the proud franchise from 1986 to 1988. Before them, Graig Nettles, who was also a member of the 1977-78 teams, was Captain. That means the three captains who preceded Mattingly each had a World Series ring with the Yankees prior to earning the honor.
Before Nettles, it was Thurman Munson. He was named Captain in 1976, prior to winning his two World Series championships with the team. It only took Munson seven seasons to become captain. He was the AL Rookie of the Year winner (you see a pattern here?) and won the AL MVP in his first season in the captain role.
There were 37 seasons between Munson’s appointment and the end of the previous regime. A man named Lou Gehrig fulfilled the role for 5 seasons. The Iron Horse already had three championships on his resumé.
Before Gehrig, the captain was Everett Scott, who took over after Babe Ruth’s reign as Captain lasted only five days. Ruth got into an altercation with a fan at the Polo Grounds and was removed from the position and never reinstated. Roger Peckinpaugh and Hal Chase were the captains prior to Ruth. Needless to say, times were very different back then.
So now, in 2021, should Aaron Judge be named Captain?
I say yes. This team moves to the beat of Judge’s drum. He handles himself with class and grace. He is well-respected and stands up for his guys on and off the field. He does enjoy a little trash talk on the field, but that is only another trait he shares with Jeter. The Yankees even designated an area in the right field seats at Yankee Stadium to pay homage to Judge (see The Judge’s Chambers below).
Photo Via: Associated PressIf an active player is iconic enough to earn a namesake section of seating in your stadium, then he is the type of guy you name Captain. Even today, it was Aaron Judge who walked it off (his first career walk-off hit) to send the Yankees to the 2021 Postseason. Regardless of whether the Bombers win the World Series this year, the organization should extend Aaron Judge and give him the greatest rank a Yankee can achieve. There is clear precedent that a World Series victory is not a prerequisite for Captain, so make it happen. This is his team.