Aaron Judge's tests: Incomplete grade on his burger, A-plus for leftfield
The Yankees' Aaron Judge runs off the field during a spring training game against the Blue Jays at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla., on March 18. Credit: AP/Mark Taylor
TAMPA, Fla. — Earlier this week, the Yankees introduced a new menu item for Yankee Stadium: The “99 Burger,” which is in honor of Aaron Judge and will be limited to 99 burgers per game.
Judge would like to get his hands on one — or more — of them.
“We’ll see if I can get a couple,” he told Newsday on Friday. “There’s only 99 burgers.”
Yes, you read it here first: The Yankees’ captain has not yet tried the burger that was created in his honor.
“They must know what I like,” he said. “It’s something I will definitely take a couple bites of. It looks good. I wish I would have gotten a little taste test before they put it out there.”
Judge got a different kind of test Friday. He started in leftfield and handled many different chances: balls hit to his left, balls hit to his right and a ball off the fence that he corralled to throw out a runner at second base in the third inning.
Said Aaron Boone: “It was good. Those are classic tester leftfield balls — the little slicer over toward the line, the slicer back in the gap. Obviously, a great throw. Good to see him have some balls kind of unique to leftfield.”
The 99 Burger features two smashed 4-oz beef patties, "new school quality american cheese," secret sauce and onions on a brioche bun. Credit: New York Yankees
Extra bases
Albert Abreu, who had given up one run in eight spring training innings, allowed five runs, including a go-ahead three-run home run by Edouard Julien, in the ninth as the Twins beat the Yankees, 6-4, at Steinbrenner Field . . . Righthander Jimmy Cordero, who threw 1 2⁄3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts, is “in a good spot” to make the team, Boone said . . . Gerrit Cole allowed one run and struck out three in 5 2⁄3 innings in his final tuneup before the March 30 season opener . . . Kyle Higashioka, in his first game since failing to get an at-bat as the third catcher with the United States team in the World Baseball Classic, went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer in the Yankees’ 7-6 split-squad loss to the Orioles in Sarasota. Oswaldo Cabrera also hit a three-run homer.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
