5 YANKEE ALL-STARS & JUDGE THE PHENOMENON

(June 30, 2017 - Source: Bob Levey/Getty Images North America)

5... maybe 6 Yankees will be All-Stars this season.   How incredible is that? The New York Post has the nugget:

"Yankees rookie slugger Aaron Judge was the highest vote-getter in the American League, collecting a stunning 4,488,702 votes, it was announced Sunday after the Yankees’ 8-1 loss to the Astros at Minute Maid Park. Four other Yankees were named to the AL squad — Dellin Betances, Luis Severino, Gary Sanchez and Starlin Castro. In addition, Didi Gregorius is in the Final Vote runoff.

Judge was the leading vote-getter in all of baseball via the Player Ballot..."

Judge will start.  Wow!

Now Judge is just a breath of fresh air for us all... even if you're not a Yankee fan, you gotta appreciate this guy.  And as a Yankee fan, it's awesome to see. The once worn #2 Jeter jersey was quickly revised.  I see #99 everywhere. 

In fact, I was looking back on old stories that I'd written.  One of which was from a piece called THE JETER EFFECT from back in 2013 for USA Today/Media Planet.  In it, I wrote:

"...As you enter the stadium, amidst the smell of hot dogs and draught beer, this evolution becomes especially clear as you look out over a sea of navy blue pinstripes and they’re virtually all wearing Jeter’s iconic #2..."

Photo: Getty Images

Now it's #99 folks, and it's everywhere.  It's like the passing of the torch of something... and it's just wild.

And here's a nice nugget, that's to Kevin Kernan of the New York Post.  The last Yankee rookies to start in an All-Star game... "Hideki Matsui in 2003 and Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio back in 1936. "

Root hard for Judge... it's truly a phenomenon.