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Earlier this week, a Little League World Series coach harshly criticized major league star Aaron Judge, and Judge's team fired back.
Bob Laterza, coach of Staten Island's South Shore Little League, which is representing the metropolitan area in the Little League World Series, criticized Aaron Judge for ignoring his players and not meeting with them during the Little League Classic.
“Why not turn around and wave to New York and to the kids who think you're a hero,” Laterza said, “because these are the people who pay your salary.”
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New York Yankees player Aaron Judge takes batting practice during the 2024 Gatorade All-Star Workout Day at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on July 15, 2024. (Mary DeCicco/MLB Photo via Getty Images)
When the Yankees learned of Laterza's comments, he responded by saying he “can learn a lot” from his team captain.
“All of our players spent the day in Williamsport before the game interacting with as many Little League players as possible, including the Staten Island team,” the Yankees said in a statement. “We commend all of our players for focusing their full attention on the hundreds of children who walked alongside them, literally every step of the way, from the moment the Yankees arrived in Williamsport and throughout the evening.”
“Our players were committed to making this experience what it was meant to be – a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for young baseball players and their families from around the world to have a meaningful, authentic interaction with Major League Baseball greats.”
Judge was signing autographs with other major leaguers throughout Sunday afternoon. He and his teammates even rode a bus with a team from the athletes' village to the field. The Yankees said they were not responsible for the schedule they were given.
New York Yankees player Aaron Judge celebrates after hitting a home run in the first inning during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays in New York on Aug. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
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“In fact, Staten Island was playing on Sunday, so our players made the effort to spend some time with Staten Island immediately prior to our game against the Tigers,” the Yankees added.
Laterza also made a bold claim: Normally the Yankees would invite metro champions to home games, but if they did, he said, “they wouldn't even take pictures with us.”
The team's chances of being invited remain intact: The Yankees said the South Shore Little League team is set to be invited to the Bronx.
“However, it would have been much better if the Staten Island coach had called us to understand the facts before reacting so publicly and violently,” the team continued. Reaching out to us would have been a wise move and would have set a good example for the younger players.
Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees hits a single in the seventh inning against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago on August 13, 2024. (Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
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“Aaron Judge always conducts himself with kindness and respect. Coaches can learn a lot from him.”
Laterza's team was eliminated from the tournament on Tuesday.
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