JUDGE INJECTION!

Photo: Getty Images

That title sounds weird. Not at all.  There's new life with the Yankees right now, and much of it has to do with the fact that Aaron Judge is back!  

Ken Davidoff starts off his article wonderfully:

Photo: Getty Images

"When was the last time anywhere a standing ovation saluted … a defensive replacement? More to the point, when was the last time Yankee Stadium felt so electric? 

Certainly before July 26, when Aaron Judge fractured his right wrist and altered the trajectory of this Yankees season. So now that Judge has returned to the active roster, his cameo in the field Friday night highlighting his team’s 11-0 thumping of the terrible Blue Jays in the opener of this season’s final homestand, can the Yankees’ leaky ship be righted in time to avoid a season-ending, Bay Area beatdown? 

Photo: Getty Images

'Pretty crazy,' Judge said of the standing O that greeted his jog to right field in the top of the eighth inning. 'We’ve got the best fans in the world.'” 

It sounds nuts to think about... but now that Judge is back, I have to say... WHAT THE HELL WAS WRONG WITH US FANS? We were like a kid who lost their puppy.  We were like zombies when Judge was out.  We were crossing our fingers hoping for wins, when reality is, it's not just one player that wins a game, it's all 25.

Photo: Anthony J. Causi/New York Post

But here's something important about baseball which I love... a player with life, brings life to a club and we love Judge. We love him out there on the field, we love him in the clubhouse.  But with him NOT there... we clearly can't function, and neither can the Yanks.  Leadership is evident. Judge is larger than life and he leads this club.  Maybe a future captain, who knows.

Much like when Jeter busted his ankle... without that presence of leadership, our team died.  With a leader present, a team can feel and do anything.  Not the way it should be, but it is.  We love leaders and leadership... and Judge is that!

Love that Judge is back! Maybe we can make that run for the playoffs after all!

Welcome back Aaron. Go Yanks!