Moments after Aaron Judge smacked his record-breaking 62nd home run of the season on Tuesday night, the son of the man who previously held the AL single-season HR record for 61 years congratulated the Yankees outfielder on his accomplishment, and took a dig at the all-time league record holders.
“Congratulations to Aaron Judge and his family on Aaron’s historic home run number 62! It has definitely been a baseball season to remember. You are all class and someone who should be revered. For the MAJORITY of the fans, we can now celebrate a new CLEAN HOME RUN KING!!,” Roger Maris Jr tweeted.
Judge tied Maris with 61 home runs on Sept. 28 in a game against the Blue Jays in Toronto, surpassing Babe Ruth 60 homers from 1927.
While Judge has etched his name in MLB history, conversations have been ongoing as to how the Yankees star’s recent accomplishment weighs against the home run record of Barry Bonds, who holds the MLB record with 73 homers in 2001.
On Sunday, Maris Jr. stated how he believes MLB should honor and recognize Judge as the league’s true home run king. Maris Jr. feels that MLB should create a separate record for “PED home runs” in addition to non-PED home runs.
When Maris broke Babe Ruth’s record in 1961, the first season that featured 162 regular season games, his 61st home run on the final day of the season, and his mark was designated with an asterisk.
Maris Jr. said he considers Judge’s record “clean” while Bonds’s record to be unofficial.
“Baseball should consider making two separate home run records,” Maris wrote. “PED home runs and home runs. Baseball’s commissioner established separate home run records in 1961. Babe Ruth was credited as the home run king with 60. Roger Maris was credited for his 61 separately under 162 games.”
Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa each topped 61 home runs in a season.
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