Aaron Judge and Yankees manager Aaron Boone chose not to address the criticism from South Shore Little League coach Bob Laterza, who accused Judge of neglecting his team during New York’s visit to the Little League World Series.
According to the Staten Island Advance, Laterza claimed that Judge did not interact with his team before the Little League Classic against the Detroit Tigers in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and ignored the players calling his name while he was in the on-deck circle. “How about turning around or waving to New York and the kids that think you’re a hero?” Laterza remarked. “They are the ones who pay your salary.”
When asked about Laterza’s comments before the Yankees’ game against the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday, Judge responded, “I’ve got no response for that. I’m not gonna give him a response because it’s about the kids. This is what it’s all about.”
Boone also declined to comment on the criticism, stating, “Aaron Judge is as good as it gets with everyone.”
The Yankees released a statement highlighting their engagement with Little Leaguers during their visit. “Our entire roster spent the day in Williamsport connecting with as many Little Leaguers as they possibly could, including the team from Staten Island,” the statement said.
Judge was observed interacting with several children, along with teammates Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Giancarlo Stanton. Chisholm distributed souvenirs and recorded the interactions, while Stanton demonstrated baseball grip techniques during a bus ride with the Little Leaguers.
“We got a chance to spend a lot of time with quite a few kids in Williamsport, make some great memories. Had a great time at the game, you know, besides a loss,” Judge said. “So I kind of want that to be the focus.”
