There will be no auction for the ball that tied The Babe.
Michael Kessler, a 20-year-old college baseball player sitting in the bleachers at Yankee Stadium, came away with Aaron Judge’s 60th home run ball but decided to give it back to the slugger in exchange for a few words, a handshake, a bat and some autographs.
Judge hit the home run that matched Babe Ruth for second place on the all-time Yankees single season list in the 9th inning of a 9-8 comeback win.
6️⃣0️⃣#ALLRISE pic.twitter.com/OMO9CYPMHw
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 21, 2022
The blast off Pirates reliever Wil Crowe headed over the wall near where Kessler and some friends were sitting.
Aaron Judge #60 LIVE @ YANKEE STADIUM I SAW HISTORY pic.twitter.com/pqQpniK6kn
— Matthew Torres (@4reignMatt_) September 21, 2022
Kessler snared it on a ricochet and quickly moved away from the crowd. An MLB Authentication representative met him and he and his pals headed toward the clubhouse.
Michael Kessler, a 20-year-old #Yankees fan who decided to come to the game last-minute, on catching Judge’s 60th HR ball. pic.twitter.com/ORvZWqZSiR
— Marly Rivera (@MarlyRiveraESPN) September 21, 2022
Kessler, who is a freshman member of the CCNY baseball team, said he was giving the ball back because he “had given so much to the organization.’
The young fan who caught Judge’s HR ball got a signed ball and bat (and friends got signed balls too) pic.twitter.com/xToXPG7H0B
— Marly Rivera (@MarlyRiveraESPN) September 21, 2022
Aaron Judge gets to 60!
The ball Babe Ruth hit for his 60th home run in 1927 has a home in Cooperstown.
📷 Milo Stewart Jr. pic.twitter.com/DexN5shdhA
— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) September 21, 2022
Ruth’s 60 homers were surpassed by Roger Maris who belted 61 in 1961 and still holds the American League single season record.
The ball that breaks Maris’ mark and the one that sets the new record will be worth more, but Judge’s 60th likely would have brought a low six-figure price on the open market.
Judge leads the league in homers, batting average (.316) and RBI (128) and remains on pace to become the first Yankee since Mickey Mantle to win baseball’s Triple Crown.
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