TORONTO — Derek Rodriguez bought way more than only a baseball. The younger Yankees fan grew to become well-known in a single day for his emotional response when a Blue Jays fan handed him the Aaron Judge dwelling run ball throughout Tuesday evening’s Bombers win at Rogers Centre. He and his household have been again on the ballpark Wednesday evening, when he bought to fulfill Judge and different Yankees.
Rodriguez and his household have been joined by Mike Lanzillotta, the Blue Jays fan who gave him the ball, within the Yankees dugout earlier than Wednesday’s sport. They watched the Yankees take batting apply and when he was accomplished, Judge joined them within the dugout.
Rodriguez, 9, cried when Judge sat down subsequent to him and began speaking to him and his brother.
And Judge stated he was moved by the second too.
“I asked who his favorite player was. He turned around and showed me his little jersey and it still gives me goosebumps to this day that little kids are wearing my number and my jersey,” Judge stated. “It’s something I dreamed of. I used to be in his position. You know, just that little kid with my favorite players and teams. So that was a pretty, pretty cool moment.”
Rodriguez and his household dwell in Toronto, however are initially from Venezuela and are large Yankees followers. How large? Well, he’s named after Yankees Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter. Tuesday evening, Rodriguez and his dad had been speaking with Lanzillotta earlier than Judge crushed the sixth inning dwelling run. When the Blue Jays fan caught the ball, he instantly rotated and gave it to the boy.
“I know I thanked him, and I hugged him,” Rodriguez stated. “That’s all I remember, because I was so happy.”
Rodriguez additionally started crying, a second that resonated with followers all over the place.
Lanzillotta stated he knew as quickly as he bought his hand on the house run ball he was going to provide it to Rodriguez.
“I don’t know how I didn’t cry,” Lanzillotta advised reporters. “I am a pretty emotional guy.”
The video of the easy and sort gesture was caught by YES Network cameras and went viral on social media. Judge was touched when he heard concerning the video after Tuesday evening’s sport.
“It’s a special moment,” Judge stated. “I was excited to meet Derek and the man who caught it, a Blue Jays fan, and for him to have that moment with a young Yankee fan. That’s a moment that’s seen around the world now. It just speaks volumes to the Blue Jays fans they have here. It is a cool little connection they got there.”
Rodriguez stated he took the house run ball to high school Wednesday.
“My friends and my teacher all congratulated me,” Rodriguez stated earlier than pulling the ball out of his pocket.
Judge signed the baseball and gave the boy batting gloves. He shook fingers with Lanzillotta.
As Venezuelans, the Rodriguez household was additionally very excited to fulfill Gleyber Torres, who bought to the dugout after Judge. The younger boy hugged him tight as his father spoke with bench coach Carlos Mendoza, one other fellow Venezuelan who performed on a winter ball workforce that Derek’s father rooted for again of their dwelling nation.
“That stuff is tough to beat. That’s just one of those moments that warms your heart,” supervisor Aaron Boone stated after watching the video from Tuesday evening. “One of the issues that I recognize in main league sports activities is sportsmanship. When you see that from the fanbases which are battling it out… it reveals simply since you’re competing and also you need to beat the opposite man so badly it doesn’t imply you’ll be able to’t be gracious, present sportsmanship. “
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Source: www.bostonherald.com