âThe definitive storyâ (Tyler Kepner, The New York Times baseball columnist) of Yankees slugger Aaron Judgeâs incredible, unparalleled run to break Roger Marisâs home run record and the franchise both men called home.
Aaron Judge, the hulking superman who carried an easy aw-shucks demeanor from small-town California to stardom in the Big Apple, had long established his place as one of baseballâs most intimidating power hitters. Baseballs frequently rocketed off his bat like cannon fire, dispatching heat-seeking missiles toward the âJudgeâs Chambersâ seating area in right field, sending delirious fans scattering for souvenirs.
But even in a high-tech universe where computers measure each swing to the nth degree, Roger Marisâs American League mark of sixty-one home runs seemed largely out of reach. It had been more than a decade since baseball wiped clean the stains of its performance-enhanced era, in which cartoonish sluggers Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Barry Bonds made a mockery of the record book.
Given a more level playing field against pitchers sporting hellacious arsenals unlike anything Babe Ruth or Maris could have imagined, only an exceptional talent could even consider making a run at sixty-one homers. Judge, who placed the bet of his life by turning down a $213.5 million extension on the eve of the regular season, promised to rise to the challenge.
âIn the most thorough telling yet of an all-time-great Yankees performanceâ (Jeff Passan, New York Times bestselling author), veteran Yankees beat reporter Bryan Hoch unravels the remarkable journey of Judgeâs run to shatter Marisâs beloved sixty-one-year-old record. In-depth, inspiring, and with an expertâs insight, 62 also investigates the more significant questions raised in a season unlike any other, including howâand whereâJudge will deliver his encore.