“I’m here to embrace every single challenge and continue to lead this team and this city to multiple championships down the road,” Judge said on Wednesday.
Aaron Judge has once again made MLB history.
The 30-year-old New York Yankees superstar, who signed a nine-year, $360 million contract with the team earlier this month, was named the team’s sixteenth captain.
During Judge’s re-introduction press conference on Wednesday, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner announced the decision.
According to Steinbrenner, it is his “great pleasure” to welcome the defending MLB MVP “back to the Bronx as the sixteenth captain of this great organisation, the New York Yankees.”
According to the team’s owner, Judge “deserves this honour and position.” The Judge then joined Steinbrenner at the podium, holding his No. 99 Yankees jersey for photos.
In an interview with the media, Judge stated, “Hal, what you just said about getting a chance to be the captain of the Yankees now, it goes without saying what an honour that is,” joining previous team captains such as Derek Jeter and the legendary Lou Gehrig.
“This is a tremendous honour that I do not take lightly,” he added.
The Judge praised the Yankees organization for “taking pride in what they do” both on and off the field in order “to represent this organisation and these pinstripes.”
As team captain, Judge stated that he intends to “continue to try and be the same leader” he has been for the previous six years.
“I know there will be a few more responsibilities with this, but I’m here to embrace every single obstacle also continue to lead this team and this city to so much championships down the road,” he said.
The baseball legend thanked his wife Samantha, his family, and former Yankees stars Willie Randolph and Derek Jeter, who were both in attendance on Wednesday to congratulate Judge.
