Aaron Judge Responds to 'Arson Judge' and Untold FA Stories | On Base with Mookie Betts, Ep. 4

welcome to on base live in your bleach Report app I am your host Mookie Betts and today we got a a Ron judge what's going on brother what's up mookie how you doing brother I'm good my man welcome back to Cali I know this is your crib maybe not here maybe uh a little up North but yeah a little farther north but man California's California's home man so it's always good to be back here you got your folks here um then they don't they always got to come to these games right yeah they don't miss it they don't miss it man my dad grew up in in Southern California so anytime he gets a chance to come out to Dodger Stadium and check out his old stomping grounds man he eats it up so he he was coming to games and stuff all the time when he was younger as well yeah when he when he was growing up he came to a lot of Dodger games I think he snuck in a couple times yeah yeah he had he had some fun down here but uh you know it was it was crazy once we once he moved up to Northern California man he he flipped to a Giants fan quick but I couldn't believe it I couldn't believe it no he's still he still enjoys it he's still downtown so before we get all the way into Aaron judge I want to Rattle off some stats some accolades I'm sorry Accu ladies you're 20 2022 Al MVP four-time All-Star three-time Silver Slugger 2017 Al Rookie of the Year and two-time home run leader that's dope dog that's that but and the kicker is you're actually really really really really really good in the Outfield like you're you you're huge bro it seems like when you're standing out there you just take up the whole Outfield and then you run like a cat dog it's a long straws bro I got these long legs that's I'm trying to be like you out there that's it no you get from point A to point B quick and then you have to rob a homers can we show the stat there you go right there oh yeah so 12 11 and 10 you know what I'm saying you you rob a lot of homers out in the last 20 Seasons you rob a lot of homers how do you like do you take pride in life when you when you go I'm gonna bring that thing down uh I try to you know the thing that you know when you when you and Mike get up there I mean you guys are jumping all the way up you're reaching back you rob it for me at six seven when I jump I got I jump like six inches off the ground especially at home in Yankee Stadium I just gotta lift my glove up and I can rob it so I think this is probably that last one I did was maybe the best one I kind of had to get up like you guys do man but no it's it's fine I try to take a lot of Pride Nicks I know the pitcher's working hard you know everybody out there is working hard on defense I never wanted to be just uh just to hit her you know like I want to take pride in my work out there and you do everything on the defensive end I mean arm is great I mean like I said everything you you're five to a player bro so shout out to you man you know we got it to you so I want to get get us on this this on base off base game so it's basically called you enter out and um I think I've seen you like to you're Taylor Swift you're you're in a you got to be in on her right oh yeah it's on base you're on base yeah so what's your favorite song about that so you know I I was early on Taylor Swift fan when she was a little more country oh hi we'll hide those songs that I like we'll save those ones but something for new stuff man you know bad blood is what I said in this little video yeah right here you know just so it's like it was a good morning song when you're getting ready you know getting ready to go to the park you throw that on man gets in a good mood so so in your ride to the field you listen to Bad Blood or is it just before I before okay before so I'm getting dressed okay you guys on the Right End you got to get get your mind right there yeah man you got to get mentally locked in so the Taylor Swift kind of happens you know brushing your teeth getting ready for the day yeah Bad Blood 22. yep you know and then and then and then and then did you did you ever go to the ear the eras tour I didn't I did a couple teammates did you know we had a we had a series again against the Padres I think then and I have family oh yeah so everybody else went I think Rizzo he grabbed a couple T-shirts and sweatshirts he was at the merch he was grabbing all the merchandise man he was killing it did he get you something no he didn't he didn't oh I'm gonna take it I'll find something oh yeah make sure you're talking okay so what about uh Jimmy Butler you think Jimmy Butler is going to win his first ring you enter out on that he is going to win his first ring in or out have you seen Denver right I got my opinion all right we can talk about it okay okay hold on let me I'm off base on that one okay you know I'm a fan of Jimmy you know he's you know what he's done the past couple Seasons his whole career basically man he's just a such a great competitor he brings it every single night he elevates his teammates but seeing what I see with Denver The Joker you know Jamal Murray Porter drink man it's they just I just don't think that he can keep up yeah there's too many options there's too many options they have to play too much defense and then it's just gonna be a lot it's just gonna be a lot but it's a fun series though they got they got some ball players so they do it's fun to watch yeah we'll see I'm curious to see game two and see how that goes and then uh and then I'll know more but right now I'm I'm off I'm off at the same way so what about is I know this in New York thing putting bacon egg and cheese on a roll and not a bagel or is that are you are you are you that is that much New York in your blood so what is it am I bacon egg and cheese on a roll and not a bagel and if you don't know right now by the time this show is over you're gonna find out I'm off it right now your office yeah so you like it on a bagel I'm a bagel guy yeah what kind of bagel don't even oh this is disgusting you're the second person I was playing my video game and this girl she she was from New York and she said the the garlic onion Bagel in the morning don't hate don't hate you're a garlic no but it's got to be loaded with bacon egg and cheese plain if I'm doing a plain bagel you don't even do those yeah I don't even do those yeah you gotta you gotta load them up you just wake up breath funky golly man see stay over there okay so what about this what about this bringing your dog to work oh I'm on base 100 percent yeah I've seen that and you had you had man that little bitty dog did he just fit in your hand I mean he's not even a small dog it's just that you just that big yeah that's a golden that's a golden retriever the camera is fooling you guys man Oh I thought that was okay that yeah okay that's the go okay right there that's the golden retriever right there okay oh yeah you know what so that's my man yeah I got two dogs that's Gus that's Gus yep he's got an older sister Penny who's also Penny didn't want to make the trip you know Penny's been a Yankee Stadium and I felt like it was time that Gus got the call up to the big leagues okay and so and you guys had a ball yeah that's it looked like he's having time in his life yeah what time was that what time were you out there so I think it was around 12 12 30. so you was there early yeah I had to because some I was hoping the cameras didn't catch me I'm trying to get out there early oh so you run around a little bit you know you were hoping the cameras didn't catch you yeah and they were a lot yeah yeah you yeah they were locked in from the beginning but it was a good time that was a good little good little reset you know I try to do that every once in a while because it's tough to take a couple dogs to Central Park and run around man so here I know I got the freedom yeah you can do whatever you need to do oh yeah oh yeah all right so let me take take me to this because I didn't experience this and you did your free agency tell me about that like how how was that like because I've talked to some people and some people think it's it's stressful and some people enjoy it and so I want to hear from your perspective like how was it stressful was it enjoyable man it was stressful you know that's the one thing like you said like throughout our whole career all the veteran guys are always like hey wait till you're a free agent man it's the best time get to choose where you want to go you finally get to make your own decision on you know where you want to play and make a home and you know for me getting drafted by the Yankees man that was such a gift and you know I there's no better place for me but kind of getting to the point of okay now I'm a free agent they didn't lock me up it's like let's let's see what's out there you know and he didn't take it personally just because teams don't lock you up that that's not a personal you know they got to take care of their business as well so I'm assuming you didn't take that personally no it was it's it's all part of it you know we we tried contract extensions you know before my last season it didn't work out then you know it's my time to go out there and play the game like I'm still a Yankee right I still got this last year you know something could happen during the season and you know so I didn't take it personal it was just part of the business I got to go check out you know see what's out there but man in the back of my mind it was you know it was always always New York man so so so there was a tweet um and what what was the Tweet can we show what the Tweet was I don't remember I think there was a tweet and you were you went back home to San Fran for a little bit right yeah I think my name changed a little bit I think they're so yeah you know what I'm saying yeah what is that what was that you know anything about that you know I was actually on a I was on a flight and my agent texted me said he said bro you were stuff's going down in San Diego right now and I'm like what are you talking about San Diego yeah so I guess this happened kind of at the right there the winter meetings yeah arson judge he's still I haven't seen a statue with the Giants me neither it was that'd be pretty good though but it was it was funny like that that kind of blew up a little bit and I started getting a couple text messages from family and friends and you know people with the Yankees kind of what's going on but you went to the Giants yeah me going to the Giants so it was and so you were did you get excited about that like yeah we're going to the Giants like I didn't even get to choose yeah the one time I get to choose I didn't get to choose so so that you got home the same friend were you that was this all playing the game like was this all like you know what I really I really truly in my heart want to go back to New York or did you not really I mean you cared right yeah but like were you like you know I just I'm open to New Beginnings I'm open to new things you know what what was your mindset going through that you know I wanted to stay in New York I always want to be in New York but I think looking at it I was like I think I'd kick myself down the road if I just didn't go through the process just check out the process see what other teams have to offer see what you know I got to meet a lot of great coaches a lot of great front offices other players with other teams and just kind of see how they ran things you know what their mindset was and at the end of the day what it came down to me was winning you know I want to win man you won you got two World Series rings you know back home and for me that's that was my main goal so go looking through all the options looking to all the teams we talked to it always came back to which team's going to give me the best opportunity to win and you know New York is always at the top of that list yeah so when I when I when I had heard you were going to the Giants my heart kind of sank a little bit because I was like man you don't want to see me dog I want to see you and I want to see you but I don't want to see you in right field what I mean you know what I'm saying I just didn't I'm like oh my gosh you know the Giants they're already it's already like a rivalry you know and and now they're going to be so good you know you what you were going to add to that team and so I'm like oh my gosh and I know I know the the media they make this me versus you thing right they always do that and and just just telling you like it ain't I ain't never felt like it's a me verse you think I I feel like there's definitely space for both of us to be great you know what I'm saying and and I think that's one thing that we've always kept in common like every time we've come in and interact with each other it's always been respect you know it's always been love when I watch you all I want you to do great and I feel you know I can't speak for you but I'm just telling you from my perspective so when I saw you sign with the Giants bro I was I was happy but I was hurt you know what I'm saying but now you're back in New York so so so is there were there any stories or anything that kind of happened within the free agency that that are kind of Untold like the people that don't see you know I'm saying like you went to you went somewhere and you had to do this and you got on the plane to head this way ahead to this place but you weren't actually going to do you know just little things that you may have happened that people don't see man I think the biggest thing was I was at I think it was a Sunday night football game in Tampa watching the Bucks play the Saints and also my agent calls me it's like 9 9 30. 10 o'clock and he's like hey we got to get you on a flight out to these winter meetings I'm like oh what are you talking about I got a flight in two days with my wife to go out to Hawaii we're going out there for a little vacation what do you mean I've got to go to San Diego he's like no we gotta you know this stuff stuff buzzing teams are calling like we got it we got to get you here like ASAP like in the morning so it was just stressful times like that like hopping on a flight flying all night there staying in San Diego just for a couple hours just to hop on another flight to head out to Hawaii man oh so you had to do yeah it was just in and out like a little covert Mission pop in there pop out and people don't see that type of stuff man yeah no they think it's all like you're getting whined and dined by these teams and everything's great man it's it's stressful just because you're thinking about your family you're thinking about you know where you want to yo keep your legacy going where you want to start a legacy and now you have your legacy in New York so you sign this nine year 360. what was the first thing you bought I bought my wife a house I was I was number one on my list you know she was she was tired I had a I had a nice little a condo apartment in Florida and then I got a condo in New York and she's like hey I'm I'm done with the condo the condo yeah I need some space got some Penny needs some grass to run around so you know that was that was the first thing on our list is is getting the house and you know she's kind of what did you buy did you buy you anything watch something not really I'm still I'm still waiting for these first couple checks to come through you know all right so so you ain't got nothing it's early man it's just June give me give me some time give me some time the first you I would have bought it or something I ain't happy give me a necklace or something yeah you're right you're right I gotta you gotta get something bro you got to get something give me give me to give me to All Star break I'll still work with something I see you at the All-Star Game also something something so then you became the captain of the Yankees how how does that work like how do you get named captain what is that process because that's that's super dope bro the captain of the Yankees like that's what kids dream of and you doing it so how did that happen it was wild you know I was actually I was at my parents house because my wife and I were flying from Northern California out to Hawaii like I said so we were just staying at my parents house just got back from San Diego it's like two three o'clock in the morning and I'm actually hopping on a call with Hal basically saying like hey you know are we gonna get this deal done I'm hearing all these other offers from other teams I don't want to go anywhere I want to stay here you know what are we going to do and he's like what's it going to take you know I threw out some numbers it's a done deal that's it that's it I said yeah so he's all right Deal's done and oh by the way um you know Thurman Munson was my favorite player growing up as a kid and you know he was a Yankees Captain I want to I want to make you the next Yankee captain man and man I was sitting there on speakerphone with my wife and I got chills I didn't know what to say I felt like I didn't say anything for like 30 minutes she's like hitting me like you got it you got to say something you know so you know just hearing them say that um and then having the press conference in New York you know having Derek there having Willie Randolph you know two former captains there as well it's it was incredible honor man it's something that you know you never think about you I'm just trying to go out there just like you every single day and be a good teammate you know be a good competitor you know uplift my teammates you know so when you get that kind of title man there's there's more responsibility but it's still just about you going out there and just taking it yeah what is what is what what comes with it like what what other responsibilities I think just or is it just like you just you're kind of the cap like anything everything kind of flows through you you know what I'm saying yeah that kind of thing and I know you probably keep an open ship like everybody kind of there's other vets in there that kind of do their thing but like you're the kind of the you're just the the guy that's that's super cool man that's super cool so do you get any perks like you get to be I get a nice parking spot at the stadium yeah it's all right look a little closer I'm a little closer now to the door so it helps out it helps out all right so before before we get deeper into Aaron we wanna I wanna know who Aaron judge was before Aaron judge now so you you played three Sports in high school what sports did you play football baseball and basketball which which sport do you feel like you were best at man I love football football for me you just had a different you have a different mindset like in football you get hit man I can get angry and it's going to help me hit that guy across you know across from me or go out there and make a play in baseball you get angry man and you put up these old highlights look at you though man you know no we had we had fun with football man it was just Friday Night Lights boy I bet man I remember I didn't play football my mom didn't let me play football but I was if there was ever a hall of fame for water boys I I mean there was not one man that went thirsty you know I was there coaches Anybody Everybody referees I was I was the best water boy of all time so if you were in the NFL I'll probably be a great water boy for you but you're in the MLB so I I uh Hey speaking of speaking of you know your mom didn't let you play that was the same thing with me like I went into my freshman year high school walking around campus and the football coach on me says who are you and why are you not on my field right now I said I played I play basketball and baseball I don't know what to tell you he said come try out come sign up so I go home tell my mom dad like hey some football coach wants me to come travel in the field and she's like nah no way I'm a mom I'm six six like I'm bigger than everybody what like what do you you said this is your freshman year yeah six six okay cool okay I'm like what are you what are you worried about she's like let's give it a year you stay up on your grades and maybe as a sophomore you can go out there so I was fine with my grades didn't play that freshman year and then sophomore year I said you can't you can't fight it now I'm going out there so so you wanted to play football yeah because all my friends all my all my boys growing up were playing football you know and I usually was playing you know basketball during the summer all year round baseball year round so I really didn't have time to fit you know football into it and then once I got to high school it was kind of like man I got nothing to do on a Friday night I got I gotta figure something out okay so so so how how was there a choice to play football in college or did you like for you personally like did you were you like I may want to play football in college or was it always baseball man it was always baseball like I love basketball I love love football but baseball just it was just always in the back of my mind man I just I just love playing it yeah like it just the game within the game that people don't see I always love that just a chess Mass between the pitcher and the hitter The Catcher And The Hitter uh just little things man it just intrigued me at a young age and and man you get you get beat up I mean I know you love playing basketball like you get beat up playing basketball running up and down those courts you get beat up in football you know every single place so for me I was thinking more longevity too I was like hey if I can you know make something work with this baseball thing like hopefully I could have a long career down the road and you know set up my family for life so you got drafted didn't go yeah why didn't you why didn't you why didn't you want to sign man I don't know how you gotta dressed out of high school right I don't know how you guys do that like like mentally and physically like I just didn't feel like I was ready yet you're not you're not I wasn't when I got drafted I wasn't mine I I decided purely based off the money I got and I went and I was I wasn't like I was calling my boys and crying calling my mom calling Bree I mean I was crying like I'm not ready for this half the people don't speak English you know what I'm saying and and you go and your 18 year old kid you just went from high school so you were with everybody two weeks ago yeah and then you go to a place where I don't know anybody and you got to play a game find a way to feel comfortable to play a game that you ain't never play and you're a professional now you know and then you get a whole bunch of money yeah at 18 years old you'll know how to really act you know what I'm saying so my parents fortunately I was raised in a great household my parents you know were able to get hold of me and make sure I was good my boys make sure I was good and this and the other but no you don't so you're right you're right to that that perspective and what you just said right there like I think that's the biggest difference I saw in a lot of the high school guys and college guys that made it through Mitch the major leagues was they had a support system and they had people around them family friends that kind of said hey knucklehead knock that off man yeah you don't need to be in that like you gotta you know keep your eye on the prize man so important because I had so many friends that in the game like you said get drafted you make a lot of money also they're buying everything they want they're forgetting about investing like yeah all of a sudden they're done in a couple years and they don't have they got a high school diploma they got no more money it's it's tough man but like you said like I'm thankful we both have great parents and just people around so you ended up going to college and you had fun in college and and got drafted whatever now you're with the Yankees and you got hurt your first year how was that like like how when you were hurt and didn't really know you were in a professional sport but couldn't really play like how what was your mind what was your mind at that time right after I got drafted yeah yeah well I tore my quad in college my junior year so like my last probably three weeks of the season I was just the aging and all the scouts kept asking like why is this guy the agent and it's like well I couldn't I couldn't even run around the bases really and you know we're trying I'm trying to get drafted trying to you know I didn't want my you know the stock to fall whatever it is so we kind of kept that silence so it was funny I got got out to Florida Tampa first couple days like run the bases doing conditioning stuff and they see me like kind of hobbling around the bases they said man what is wrong with you and I said I got nothing nothing's wrong you know and they said now go let's go inside and check something out so it was tough that first year because you're like you know top draft pick you know you want to make a good impression like you said like you're just meeting all these new people who are in the same position you are you want to make a good impression these are your future teammates you know and I'm sitting in here on the training table like it's it was rough that first year that's why you know I was call call my parents all the time call my agents like you know maybe I should have went back one more year at Fresno was just the right decision but you know it it all worked out eventually man and God that's at all it always does yeah and so then you're going through the minor leagues and when you how was how was your minor league experience did you enjoy it or was it like were you just grinding the whole time no I loved it you know you got to love that grind man you know how it is like you got to love those those ups and downs so for me my first first year plan was in low way Charleston you know was there for half the Year got called up to Haye in in Tampa and like first half I'm hitting 330 second half when I get up to Tampa get called up I'm hitting like 240 you know so that was kind of a grind it's like I'm hitting 330 like this is this is pro bowl like yeah I'm gonna be up in the big soon I'm looking at the roster like okay I can make it up here and yeah um you know then you kind of get hit in the face when you get up to a new level new pitching new environment game speeds up just a little bit so it was tough then the next year starting out double A everything's going great in double A and also you get moved up to AAA and the same thing I'm hitting like 230. you know kind of a shock and you just see how close you are to the big leagues but it still feels so far away but you know I I enjoyed it man like like I said earlier like I had so many good friends around me that I could talk to and when I wasn't feeling right I'm like man this I I'm never gonna make it to the big lease I'm getting struck out you know three four times in the game and in Triple A like I'm not gonna expect to go up in the big leagues and and perform so it was it's fun yeah it was fun man yeah I enjoyed it like so then so then you you're in the big leagues and I'm assuming at some point you had you went through a swing change I know I did an 18 and I remember when I went through my swing change that was the worst spring training I had ever had in my I think it was like two for 54 or something like that and it took it took time and I questioned myself like I don't I'm not who I am anymore like I don't even know what's going on I don't even know how to hit anymore and so I didn't know like when you went through your swing change and your your swing your hitting coach yeah how was that whole process because for me it sucked until we got to the time and now you know now I know how to maintain like exactly and whatever so it was it was it was scary man but it was like a whole off season how long did it take for you yeah so 2016 in the big leagues for like two months in the year I hit 179 like brutal getting booed and like man this the same this ain't for me you know and um you know actually with my agent that brought hey I got this you know hitting coach and I worked with a little bit you know near the end of my career he still works with guys I think you should check him out I said it's like Dave give me anybody because I'll take anything over the 179 and the performance I put out there so I flew out to Arizona to meet him actually went with Rob russnyder who's with the the Red Sox right now we both came up with him played against them all yeah oh yeah all the time but yeah so yeah we got the same agent so you know we both went out to Arizona we're hitting in the cage with this guy and mookie I'm telling you he watched me hit a little bit and he said Hey try this this and this I made a couple changes and bro I'm telling you like that I hit a couple balls it was like instantly different I felt like I've never had a baseball like that like okay because for me like as a big guy I was taught like you know kind of Swing more down like you want hard line drives and I'm like that's what everybody that's what everybody yeah that's for me though yeah that's what people like me not for you yeah so like I'm sorry like I started elevating the ball a little better not I'm not saying like hitting the top of the net but like just getting off the ground yeah just getting it off the ground you know so I remember getting back in the car with Rob right after we hit for like an hour or two and I said bro I think I'm hitting 50 homers next year like kind of joking around but I just I could see the change and like the difference and also now for me what helped out too was he was breaking down videos like hey look at these like look at these guys in the big leagues and what they're doing and now look at your video and what you're doing so for me that was a cool experience to be able to finally like you see your film and you think I got it figured out but then I'm like well I don't look like any of these great hitters right but these guys are hitting 300 hitting 30 homers a year I'm hitting 179 with four homers there's a difference here so getting a chance to kind of learn how to look at guy's swings learn how to see like okay when things are going wrong why is it going wrong okay well I'm not on legs here I'm jumping forward or I'm you know not staying back this just little things like that so that's spring training you know show up and you know obviously the organization wants you to you just hit 179 they have their ideas of how they want you to change so they kind of gave me something oh so did they not know about no they didn't know okay that's cool I mean yeah that's that's normal so like I'm in there doing all these funky drills I'm doing stuff they've never seen and they're like you need to widen out like put the ball in play like you just need to get your average up and I said guys just trust me like okay like if I'm gonna go down if I'm gonna be out of the MLB like I'm gonna do it my way let me let me just you know if I fail this this first year in 17 like that's on me and then I'll figure something out so so it was a little tough like you said in spring training like people were questioning it you know I got hitting coaches kind of on me about this ain't gonna work cut it out but they're all looking for your best interests they want you to succeed so and so you had so you had to so then take us take me back to 62. number 62 when you hit it because I mean you're just hitting home runs right I mean like at this point I feel like every time you touch it it's a homer you know what I'm saying like every every every Stadium you go to it's it's like when it's 200 feet for you yeah I'm saying you know it's it's kind of not fair but it is fair too because like hitting is hard bro you know I'm saying hitting is hard for no matter what shape size you are yeah and it just helps to be big but still to hit you don't just hit power you like you get hits you walk you do everything hitting so take me back this is this is take me through this can we run this one more time like I want to know some emotions some feelings like as soon as you hit it like you know what was going through your head man well we could pause it if we could pause it before this this is the second game of doubleheader before the last oh this is game two this is game two and before that I was literally playing every single day from basically July and August you know kind of going for this I really wasn't going for it but as a competitor you're like you know if I just have a good swing to that bass you know we're gonna have a chance at this so this is after I don't know 40 50 games straight you know mentally beat up physically beat up you know every game at home Yankee fans are standing up on their feet they're cheering before his nerve recognized man you know not really nervous but just you don't want to let the fans down man you know they want to see something they want to be a part of History you know they've been with me through this whole journey throughout the whole year throughout my whole career like you want to do it at home you want to do it in front of those fans so no it was tough like I I started leading off which is which is tough man I don't know how you do that but like I lead off the game I hit a double and they're almost like a sense of like uh man like so which was weird because I'm like man we're still trying to win this game what are we doing here it wasn't even about the game at that point for them yeah so for us for me too yeah exactly so you know finally we get to this last we got this double header I remember telling skip he's like hey like I'm thinking maybe sitting either the first game or second game I said hey let me play the first game we'll see how it goes first game not that I made one for four I don't know what happened and he calls me in the office hey like maybe situ's next game I said no skip give me give me another one give me another one just give me give me give me a chance here I got a good feeling I got a good feeling I went straight to the cage I'm in the cage I'm hitting I'm with our hitting coaches and uh Casey our assistant coach is in there with me and he's like probably just relax a little bit it's gonna come if it comes it comes if it doesn't it doesn't so in my mind going up to that that's the first inning my first step back the second game I said you know what man like if it happens it happens if it doesn't it does but you knew it was going to happen exactly you know you know what's going to happen but you just want to get over it you want to get over with because like even the video like my teammates jumping on the field the way they're reacting like they're in it with me they kind of weren't even talking to me for a couple weeks either because they're like we don't want to jinx this we want to you know go do your thing it was so was it like as you're going on this this pace was it like okay guys I get it I'm hitting the homers but I just want to be normal for a little bit like I just wanna I don't want it to be about that I want to still play the game I want to still win the game you know I'm saying because you seem like that kind of guy like hey I know I'm doing this but I also want to keep it on us you know what I'm saying I think that's why you got to see yeah you know for sure but they did a good job of that like you know they didn't they didn't talk about it they just talked about the game they talked about winning okay so for me that helped me kind of keep my mind off because I go to my teammates and you know they knew what was weighing on me but they never they never wanted to bring it up and be like hey like how you doing you're doing all right they're just kind of like hey could swing their men are like hey what'd you think of that play they just they just did a good job of distracting me man and that's why you know getting a chance to share a moment like that you know with my teammates you reminded with me all years was so special you spending so much time with those guys like they know how to handle they they know you just as much as you know you you know what I'm saying so that's good so as you were going were you like I'm gonna break this record this year did you ever think to say that in your head like I'm gonna or was it just like I don't know that's a lot yeah it's a lot not really you know because the media you know two months in are like oh you're on Pace for 68 homers this and that I'm like I'm Pace like what's yeah what's that mean in May that don't mean nothing for me it may you know let's let's talk let's talk in September yep and then as I started getting closer and closer they wanted to talk about it but then I was like man I I got a game to focus on so it was it was tough I avoided I didn't say I avoided the media for a while but they just didn't see me in my locker until after the game but so speaking of on Pace you're they're I'm sure you've probably heard it you're probably kind of you're you're back on Pace for again right um but there you go right there and you're not going up there just trying to hit homers you're just going up there and hitting I mean there's the the numbers show you're just going up there and hitting yeah and I think that's that's super super dope bro because hitting has gotten when we when we first started to now hitting is so much harder different game bro you're literally hitting against a computer as well as you know I'm saying 98 100 98 and 100 you know and that's every night yes EV every single night so you have all these personal accolades and then hmm for what what do you what do you contribute a lot of these personal things do you ever like take that with the team as well like hey you know my team is the reason why I'm able to be so good you know what I'm saying like is it do you ever contribute a lot of that to the to your teammates because like I said you spend a lot of time with these guys and for you to go do that like you had to have that support system around you oh for sure every and and the fans as well you know what I'm saying man every little like that's all the stats you brought up there only reason why they're like that is because the guys I'm hitting behind the guys I'm hitting in front of like getting a chance to you know last year hit behind DJ Le Mayhew all year and that guy is literally on base two or three times a night people don't they don't realize that then they then I think about you know Anthony Rizzo Giancarlo Stanton he's Ballin yeah who are guys that are putting 30 homers out every year 30 plus homers um you know so they're giving me a chance it's like team's got to pick they're like okay we got Lemay who on first we have judge up we got Stanton behind him we got Rizzo behind them like we really don't want Rizzo or Stanton coming up with two or three guys on base like we gotta we gotta pitch of this guy so you know that happens over the course of the year you're gonna get better pitches ahead and it'll just that's good for me don't swing and miss so it's always about my teammates any any awards you get any team it's always it's about the team man like even like you're watching your MVP season in 2018 man like you had so many guys on base and yeah the biggest thing is you just came you just came up you just did your job but you didn't overthink it you said your job you got guys on base well I just got to drive them in or no one's on base well I gotta get on base the guys behind me can drive me in that year JD won two silver Sluggers man we have that now you went to yes so so being now that now that I'm with the Dodgers and we had the Giants and I guess you could say the Padres or rivalries you're right tell me about tell me your take on the Red Sox Yankees rivalry because I can tell you mine you know I want to hear your take on it or actually you know I'll go first okay okay I think the Red Sox Yankees rivalry is is probably the best in sports and I say that because both teams are always good and this may be fan driven but like it seems like it's always hostile you know what I'm saying like we play the Yankees I don't care if we're both in last or you know we're both tied for last like it's going to be a hostile game we're trying to beat you you're trying to beat us and it's just we'll do anything to win you know what I'm saying and so I remember I remember when we uh when we had our brawl and uh Joe Kelly had hit Tyler Austin and I'm in right field I'm like oh my gosh here we go so so everybody runs in y'all are on the field mind you y'all had everybody that was six five and taller on your team so I had Tommy kaneley who he's he's six two but he's a wrestler he loves wrestling then Dylan batances six eight Chapman Chapman uh Chad green right behind me yeah in right field they were coming too I slowly walked because and I saw them let me let me let them go first I'm a lover not a fighter yeah you know what I'm saying and y'all was too big man but that that like perfectly depicts the the Red Sox Yankees Robert so I want to hear your your your take on it no like you said every single time we play it didn't matter if it was a Tuesday in May or a Friday night at Fenway in you know September the place was packed Yankee Stadium was packed Fenway was packed and no the fans just brought it every single time like they they raised the energy level from the very first pitch you could see like when you step in the Box the guy on the mound is a tick a tick better like his below is a little up on both sides everything so it was just that's what you wanted that's what you want as a ball player man you want the best and man I I miss those I'm glad I'm watching you do your thing at Dodger Stadium so I'm not seeing you hit you know home Raptor Homer you know over the month over my head in right field man but it was no it's it's a blast like you said that's that's the best rivalry in sports I think have you had did you have like uh in Boston did you have people like talking crazy like I know you have people what's something give me something good that you hurt that's kind of yeah you know that you can say on air man I think there's the craziest thing to me is you know I like you play you warm up in between Innings you know toss the ball to you know some kids and I saw a couple kids there with some Red Sox stuff and I'm like I'll toss them a ball you know they're kind of waving like hey toss it to them and you know kind of just wave it at them and also they're like they get the ball look at it and they start flipping me off saying oh really go Red Sox honestly man like yeah all right but that happens man it's you know they love their team and um I'm just looking they didn't throw the ball back at me but now that happens all the time that's that's good so all right so New York La both dope cities I got some New York La not this or that but which one is better New York L.A so I think okay we'll go better weather oh it's not even close yeah okay now this one is a good one food which one has better food because I I can't La is dope but New York yeah it's got it's got to be New York I love New York I love I love coming out here and getting some some great meals but in New York you can go to a different spot every single night and it's going to be incredible and it's and half the time there's rats running right in front of the door and you go in and it's just the food is just magnetic that's when you know it's good when you see when you see that out front that's when you know it's good it's all fancy all them nights walking in New York and I see the trash right there and I smell the smell the feces in the air you know what I'm saying from the sewers I know I'm getting I know I'm getting me a good meal I'm getting some good you got something okay so what about music I'm biased to to La man I grew up a California guy mads New York rappers I feel like they're good but they be like aggressive yeah you know what I'm saying yeah they're kind of aggressive and it's not you know it works for them that's how that's how they work but I feel like the LA is just you know laid back top down yeah yeah we're laid back lay back and we some L.A dudes all right so what about the nightlife but a nightlife New York's great but like you know some of these like rooftop yeah rooftop bars here scenes you got in La man it's that's tough to beat on the summer night any like the the vibe is different it's like a upscale everybody dresses up smells nice looks good you know and then yeah I feel like the uh clothes the tires different like you're gonna work you see some people wearing some crazy stuff here you know I'm sure you see some crazy in New York as well but some gonna be off the wall always always so what about uh I think this is a great question traffic because New York got some traffic you know I'll take the New York traffic because I know at any point I can just get out and I can walk and probably be there here in L.A yeah you ain't walking nowhere you stuck on the highway man you ain't going nowhere what about shopping that's New York man I think that's New York I think New York too same thing like it's all it's all right right there on Fifth and it's got like all the stores man yeah they're gonna take all man they're gonna take all that 360. especially when you buy your first thing whatever exactly exactly all right better place to live yeah and I've heard not talking talking to Cece he told me he didn't live in like I guess nobody really lives in the city but right outside of it's beautiful like you don't know where you're in New York and so I'm curious you know I'm saying you've been in both you know which one which one is a better place to live not talking not taking any any baseball into accounts yeah met at La for me I love the weather I love like you said kind of getting out of the city like I love living in the city in New York but you got to have that little Escape man right you know I feel like when you're at the stadium all day and you come back in the city like you never really turn it off but here I feel like you can kind of drive out of the city you can you can get lost in those Hills man yeah yeah for sure all right so what about like which one would have a better fan base and I don't know if it would be better I I don't know to answer that one I feel like they would be different because LA's fan base is way they watched it and they're just more chill you know what I'm saying if I feel in New York and even in Boston and I learned to appreciate it like you you start struggling they're going to boo you I don't they don't care who you are yeah and I appreciated that because it made me strap it on every day yeah I gotta go perform you know what I'm saying so what how how do you feel about that yeah I agree that's why that's one another reason why I love playing in New York is because it doesn't matter who you're playing that night if it's you know a last place team coming into town or if your Red Sox are coming to town la is coming to town like the fans are going to bring it like if you are if I'm over three that night also now I'm over for the punch punch out walking back to the Dugout they're gonna let me know like yeah man I paid all this money to come watch you do something you ain't do nothing you got to pick it up which which like you said like it makes you strap it on every single night like you got to bring it because these fans are watching they know the game they understand the game they understand what you're going through because they they know the stats they know how you've been hitting how you haven't been hitting so for me I appreciate that because you know they're right there in the corner with you so when you have a big Homer to win the game and they're right there with you cheering they're gonna be they they you're on top of the world exactly but if you have you ground into a double play in the game they're gonna let you go too Barry yeah so that's super cool that's super cool so all right so I got some fan questions favorite picture to face and who's your favorite picture to face and it's you know everybody just has a guy that you just love facing because you know when you face him I'm going deep and this says no shade to anybody else I can't I can't say it man I I can't I can't say it I can't say I want to jinx it I don't want to jinx it you know well I'll tell you mine I'll tell you mine let me hear it you remember Danny Duffy yeah I got to play with him I talked to him and no matter when I was facing Danny Duffy I knew I was going deep he could not keep me in the yard and he knew it he knew it and so you know that I'll say my guy you don't have to say your guy you don't want to jinx it I feel it that's the superstitious part that baseball players have that you guys don't understand because you know I'm saying we just don't want to say it and then now we go oh for 10 against this guy and we feel like saying it is what Jack did it's a humbling game yeah and it will it very well it very well could so who's your least favorite pitcher to face least favorite pitcher to face I don't I just don't want to face him man it's my boy it's my boy with the raise Tyler glass now man like he's and you know I think we scored like what one or two on them and I mean he's just he's just good he's good man and that's the thing is I came up playing against him I played with them in the fall league you know got to see him with Pittsburgh and then once he got over to the raise and really started figuring things out man but he's he's as tall as me yeah it feels like he's just dropping the ball off in the catcher's glove he's got that big curveball looks just like the heater he's working on like that little cutter slider thing it's didn't wasn't he like an Olympic or uh his parents or something where his mom or something like that okay because he's a super good athlete like he did backflips and uh super really good athletes oh yeah yeah you can tell by the way he pitches because he's you know athletic I got I got a question for you though you came up as a second baseman oh yeah yeah yeah and then you're gonna just move to the Outfield yeah and when every gold glove and then also be like you know what I want to play some I want to play some you need me a short you need a short stop I'll move the short real quick return double plays like it ain't nothing like how when I when I just moved to center field or move to left like that's that's still an outfield position but that's still a tough adjustment from but to go from The Outfield to the infield the next day you're playing right yeah but I don't I don't know how that so when I was playing Summer Ball coming up not even this is in high school I didn't have one team I played on I had like four teams I played on and the reason why is because I split a lot of my time playing basketball so I wasn't even playing baseball all the time and so I would go to like two basketball tournaments to one baseball tournament um and so I was just like you know I'm not gonna play this week and then that's how I we got began to be on four teams so they would call me like hey we need a third baseman this week can you come play yeah I'll go play we need we need to come play short this week we need to come play second this week I need you to come play center this week and so I grew up doing it and then I got drafted as a shortstop and when I got dry I only played like 15 games and then I got moved to second base and then I went all up through the minor leagues at second base and infill is my life bro it's my life it's the most fun I have planned and so when I got moved to right it was like all right well I'm gonna be the best right fielder like I can be you know what I'm saying because we're gonna apply ourselves exactly it's hard yeah I'm gonna I'm gonna be the best fried Pro I can be and so I just got really good at it and um I kind of got stuck out there did they come to you and say like hey we got Dustin Pedroia a second yeah they had just signed bogey a short like you're gonna be in the big leagues with like we're gonna put you in the Outfield and then that that was it that that's how that's how I play and now being able that I'm a little older now and I get to there was a hole there was a lot of things had to be right for me to end up playing short and second but you know it ended up being right and I've had the best time of my life so so if I see if I get to play in field I see you gonna chop it up while we're out there so let me out let me let me ask a couple more fan questions you're Mount Rushmore of Yankee greats oh Yankee grades I gotta go Yogi Berra 10-time World Series champ man that's that's unheard of uh Mickey Mantle you know Mick man just the MVPs what he did every single year playing center field Babe Ruth obviously and Jeter the captain yeah man just because I got a chance to see him growing up and you know what he did for the game you know not only just how he played the game how he treated every single day the competitiveness I guess that's what it's about man so I I would say for us to Rap Man like I think that's why you got to see on your chest well on your arm because you do those same things now let's remember that bro like and I know you will you know you know you Aaron judge right but you know I had to learn these last couple years like I can't ever question myself you know what I'm saying and so we go through these struggles and we go through all these things and you know we're going through life in general I know I don't know if whenever you decide to have kids and all those type of things like You're Gonna I'm not gonna say you're gonna get lost but you just sometimes you kind of question yourself bro and just remember you got to see you got everything everything is great for you bro and it's super super dope to watch especially to see you stay out of the media see how when you're in the media it's for positive things and so I just want you to know like you know for for the rest of us normal people you know what I'm saying you're super dope man you're super inspiring for us and and the kids as well so but I gotta say the same thing Luke like you man you kind of paved the way you know what I'm saying like coming up at a young age and like like you said bro like every single time I'd watch you play against us or watch you on TV like you were coming up in big moments but you're never like the guy making it about you no it's never about you bro it's about your teammates helping your teammates out man and seeing that like you're a superstar you're the best player in the field but you still made it about everybody else around you man that's where I think that's such a good lesson for the kids see me yes sir just remember that everyone happiness lies with everyone else then it comes to you that's it on base for Mookie Betts and a a Ron judge [Music]

Channel: Bleacher Report

Views: 193,042

Keywords: bleacher report, br, mlb, aaron judge, aaron judge interview, aaron judge mookie betts interview, mookie betts, mookie betts interview, mookie betts x aaron judge interview, aaron judge yankees, aaron judge new york yankees, aaron judge arson judge, aaron judge reacts to arson judge tweet, mookie betts podcast, on base with Mookie betts, baseball, mlb podcast, baseball podcast, podcast, mookie betts show, dodgers, la dodgers, los angeles dodgers, yankees

Id: ufox2rr1FFo

Length: 52min 24sec (3144 seconds)

Published: Fri Jun 02 2023