Yankees News: Sanchez, Judge both to compete in the HR Derby

Yankees fans and the organization, depending on how you look at it, now have the equation solved. Their All-Star catcher and right fielder will compete in the Home Run Derby next Monday in Miami.

The Yankees and this writer could have received better news about the team this afternoon. Instead, Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge have announced that they have accepted an invitation to compete in this year’s Home Run Derby in Miami next Monday night.

Presumably, they made this decision in consultation with team management, and particularly, Joe Girardi, who has bent over backward the last week or so trying to keep them both healthy and active with scheduled days off and DH assignments. But these days, you never know.

And the pull of fame and glory, together with future monetary advantages, could have seen the lure thrown into the water by his agent and “do-gooders” who attach themselves sometimes to players (ask Alex Rodriguez about that) with only their best interests in play.

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I’m not saying that’s what happened with Sanchez and Judge, but it does give pause to at least ask the question, why is it necessary for them to do this – now?

They have a whole career ahead of themselves, and let’s face it, with Sanchez, his selection to the All-Star team is marginal at best for a guy who’s hitting .289 with thirteen home runs with 40 driven home.

Plus, he’s managed to play in only 57 of the Yankees 80 games with this that or another injury.

As expected, though, both players were excited about taking on the challenge of facing guys like Giancarlo Stanton, the defending champ, and Dodger’s rookie, Cody Bellinger. Sanchez and Judge both spoke to Fox Sports saying:

"”I’m (Judge) excited,” he said Monday. ”We’ve got a good group of guys going. Getting a chance to go up against Gary is going to be fun. So I think we’re both looking forward to that.””I think it’s going to be special,” Sanchez said through a translator. ”I’m pretty sure the fans are going to enjoy it. I’m pretty sure that the excitement will be through the roof, and if I don’t win I want Judge to win.”"

I’m not the boogyman

Look, I’m not the boogyman, and now that both are in it, I hope one of them tears it up and wins it. But it should give pause to consider that Stanton did nothing for the Miami Marlins when he won the title last year. And the bottom line is the Marlins are not paying him umpteen million dollars from now until eternity to win the Home Run Derby.

And I also have empathy for both Judge and Sanchez in seeing their fallen teammate, Dustin Fowler, the other night in Chicago when maybe a thought or two crossed their minds with the realization that everything can end in a split second. So, why not go for it when you can?

It’s a tricky dichotomy, no doubt, but I still have to wonder if this is the wisest decision they’ve made in their careers thus far.

A week or so ago, I attempted to lay out the reasons why participation in the Derby causes unnecessary stress, physical exertion, and possible timing interruptions in a player’s swing, all with the support of baseball people who know.

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It went the other way. Along with the Yankees, I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed that both players come back on the night that counts when the Yankees meet the Red Sox at Fenway and the season resumes after all the hoopla of ESPN’s money making annual display featuring Roman gladiators ready to meet the challenge.

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