Judge 62nd HR ball to auction; $3M offer denied
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Jeff PassanESPN
Aaron Judge‘s record-setting 62nd home run ball is headed to auction later this month, with the attorney for the Texas man who caught it telling ESPN he already turned down a $3 million offer for the prize snagged Oct. 4 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
Cory Youmans, a 35-year-old from Dallas, told ESPN that “after weeks of a lot of deep conversations” with his wife, sports reporter Bri Amaranthus, and his lawyer, Dave Baron, they decided to sell the ball with the Goldin Auctions house.
“It seems fair in the sense it gives anyone that is interested and has the means the opportunity to own it,” Youmans said. “As a fan, I’m curious to see what it’s worth, who buys it and what they do with it.”
Discussions with a Yankees security official on the night Youmans caught the ball were pleasant, he said, but did not lead to a deal to return to Judge the home run that broke the American League record that had held since 1961.
Judge, who is expected to win the AL MVP award Thursday, said the night of the home run: “It’d be great to get it back, but that’s a souvenir for a fan. They made a great catch out there, and they’ve got every right to it.”
The most expensive baseball ever sold at auction was Mark McGwire’s then-record 70th home run in the 1998 season, which went for $3.05 million to comic book artist Todd McFarlane.
“We’ve already had an offer for $3 million,” said Baron, Youmans’ attorney. “Talking to the auction people, they don’t really commit to a number, but they said it just could be significantly higher based on New York, the New York fan base and how crazy it could get at an auction.”
The night Youmans caught the home run indeed was wild. The congratulations from nearby fans. The misinformation about him that circulated almost immediately on social media. Sneaking out of the stadium. And the realization that he was in possession of the sports equivalent of a winning lottery ticket.
It all started when a friend offered a ticket to the game and Youmans agreed to go for one particular reason.
“This game was all about seeing Aaron Judge in person,” Youmans said. “I am still in awe of his ability. As a baseball fan and an American, I’m just so happy Aaron is the face of America’s pastime. It’s his moment, and he’s the right man for it.”
Judge had stalled on 61 home runs going into the Yankees’ 161st game of the season. Leading off in the first inning, he hit the third pitch he saw — an 88 mph slider from Texas Rangers starter Jesus Tinoco — toward the left-field seats. When the ball cleared the infield, Youmans realized it was coming in his direction. He had never caught a baseball at a game. He kept telling himself not to drop it.
“I have this fear of ending up on SportsCenter Not Top 10,” Youmans said, “so my initial feeling was pure relief that I wasn’t the guy that dropped No. 62 or ended up wearing my beer.”
He did neither. His glove extended in front of one on the hand of a Grand Prairie, Texas, man named Todd Smith, and when the ball popped in it, fans patted Youmans on the back, congratulated him and watched security whisk him toward a room where he paced for a few minutes.
Yankees executive director of security Eddie Fastook arrived and said if Youmans wanted to meet Judge and exchange the ball for memorabilia, photographs and tickets, he would be the one to arrange that. Youmans said he preferred not to decide on the spot — “Eddie is great at his job,” he said, “so telling him no was really hard” — and waited for an authenticator to check the ball. The special markings on balls thrown to Judge as he approached Roger Maris’ record confirmed Youmans was holding No. 62, and an authentication sticker affixed to the ball endorsed that.
With the ball verified, Youmans asked if he could leave the stadium. Two security personnel spirited him to a golf cart and snaked through the interior of the stadium so Youmans could avoid any hassle. He stopped to meet Rangers owner Ray Davis and president Neil Leibman before departing through the players’ entrance.
On the drive home, Youmans received a text from Amaranthus asking if he was near their apartment. Someone had shared their address on social media. Rather than stay the night and risk any issues, Youmans and Amaranthus packed their dog in the car and spent a few days at a friend’s house.
The social media speculation alluding to Youmans’ wealth, he said, was spurious. While he does work in financial services, he said, “We are not millionaires, and we enjoy the $3 red blend from Trader Joe’s as much as anything.” He and Amaranthus, he said, have been saving to buy their first house, and Youmans hopes to build a shop for his grandfather, a retired welder who works on classic cars, recently celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary and had been planning to move. Youmans moved in with his grandparents at 13, he said, and his grandfather delayed retirement to send him to private school, following which Youmans became the first college graduate in his family.
After being diagnosed with melanoma earlier this year, Youmans said he and Amaranthus refocused their priorities, vowing to travel the world. “Meeting people from different cultures is a major priority for us at this stage of life,” Youmans said, and selling the ball would allow for such adventures.
Youmans said he wanted to lend the ball to the Yankees to display during the postseason, “but unfortunately it didn’t materialize.” He remained silent publicly, he said, not to distract the Yankees during their playoff run, which ended in an AL Championship Series sweep by the Houston Astros.
Ideally, Youmans said, the ball would wind up with Judge, the Yankees or the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but the conduit will need to run through the auction, which Goldin said on its Instagram page would start Nov. 29.
Some of the money could find its way to Judge’s All Rise Foundation — similar to the large donations of Philip Ozersky, who caught McGwire’s 70th home run and supported multiple charities. Youmans said he contacted the foundation and that its “mission really resonates with me: to inspire children to have hope for their future.
“It’s a full-circle moment for me,” Youmans said, “because 25 years ago, I would have benefited from their help and would love to pay it forward.”
PHOENIX — Ketel Marte is having one of the best seasons of his career on the field.
That hasn’t stopped a fair amount of criticism for the Arizona Diamondbacks slugger off of it.
The All-Star second baseman apologized through an interpreter Monday for missing three games following the All-Star break after flying back to his home in the Dominican Republic — a situation that has apparently been festering in the clubhouse over the past month.
The 31-year-old said he initially expected to return to Phoenix immediately following the break but was “frustrated” and “in a bad spot” after he learned his residence in Scottsdale, Arizona, had been burglarized during the break, according to the interpreter.
The D-backs were playing a crucial stretch of games — fighting for playoff position ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. Arizona placed Marte on the restricted list for the first two games of his absence and then he didn’t play a third game after returning to the club.
In response to criticisms that he takes too many games off, Marte said he has dealt with injury issues and is following a plan designed by the training staff. Marte has missed 33 games this year, the majority of which were because of a hamstring injury.
“I know there’s an elephant in the room and I’ll just say what I want to say about it,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “I know that Ketel talked to you guys and I’m proud of him for doing that. That’s not easy for him to do. I know he showed some vulnerability and I’m really proud of him for digging in the way that he did.
“What I’ll say about Ketel are the things that I know — he’s a great teammate, he’s a great young man, he plays hard every single day for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He just wants to win baseball games. That’s it.”
Marte has dealt with a torrent of criticism after a report in the Arizona Republic last week said that some teammates were frustrated with the second baseman’s behavior over the past month and that his absence after the All-Star break might have partially caused the team’s collapse before the trade deadline.
The D-backs came into the season with high expectations but are 60-65.
Arizona won the three games Marte missed after the All-Star break — sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals — but then lost nine of 10 when he returned to the lineup.
That affected the organization’s approach at the trade deadline. The Diamondbacks sent third baseman Eugenio Suárez and first baseman Josh Naylor to the Seattle Mariners in separate deals, outfielder Randal Grichuk to the Kansas City Royals and right-hander Merrill Kelly to the Texas Rangers.
Marte is having a terrific all-around offensive season, batting .297 with 23 homers and 56 RBIs. The three-time All-Star has been with the organization since 2017 and was key to the team’s unexpected run to the World Series in 2023.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
PHILADELPHIA — Phillies ace Zack Wheeler had surgery Monday to remove a blood clot in his upper right arm, and the team says a timeline for his recovery remains unknown.
Manager Rob Thomson acknowledged the uncertainty, saying, “We don’t know,” when asked whether Wheeler would pitch again this season, or if the situation was career-threatening.
The Phillies said Wheeler underwent a thrombolysis procedure by Dr. Paul DiMuzio at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
Wheeler, 35, a three-time All-Star who leads the majors with 195 strikeouts, was placed on the injured list Saturday after experiencing worsening shoulder “heaviness” following his start in Washington the previous night.
His condition fell under the realm of thoracic outlet syndrome, a known risk for overhead-throwing athletes, where compressed blood vessels or nerves near the neck can lead to clot formation.
Treatment options vary depending on the root cause. In addition to clot-dissolving procedures, athletes often undergo extended blood thinner therapy — spanning months — or even rib resection surgery to prevent recurrence, with high return-to-play rates in cases where such interventions are successful.
Meanwhile, the Phillies are left without the anchor of their rotation with six weeks to go in the regular season. The National League East leaders are leaning on a group of pitchers, including Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez, Taijuan Walker and Jesús Luzardo, to fill the void. Aaron Nola, who missed three months because of ankle and rib injuries, returned to the rotation on Sunday.
“You could always rely on [Wheeler] every fifth day, but at the same time, I have confidence in our entire rotation,” Thomson said. “As tough as it is to lose Zack, I feel really good about our staff. I really do.”
In 24 starts this season, Wheeler is 10-5 with a 2.71 ERA. He has thrown at least 192 innings in three of the previous four seasons.
Beyond the immediate baseball implications, teammates have rallied around Wheeler.
“He’s the heart of this team, the heart of the staff … you never want to see it,” reliever Matt Strahm said, emphasizing that Wheeler’s health is everyone’s priority.
Seattle Mariners outfielder Victor Robles was ejected from a minor league game during a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on Sunday after he was nearly hit by an inside pitch and tossed his bat at the pitcher.
Las Vegas starter Joey Estes’ first pitch to Robles in the third inning was inside and Robles whacked at it to avoid getting hit.
After taking a few steps behind the plate and dropping his bat, Robles picked up the bat and threw it in Estes’ direction and was immediately ejected from the game by plate umpire Joe McCarthy.
Robles, who was hit by a pitch three times in his previous four games with Tacoma, took some steps toward the mound while yelling at the pitcher but was held back by McCarthy and Las Vegas teammates.
After going into the dugout, Robles threw a box of snacks toward the field before heading to the clubhouse.
He took to social media later to apologize for letting his frustration get the best of him.
“Coming off a long rehab and being away from the game for most of the season has been physically and mentally challenging,” Robles said in his Instagram story. “Adding to that, the recent passing of my mother has been incredibly hard, and I’ve been doing my best to hold it together. That’s not an excuse, but some context I feel you deserve to understand where I’m coming from.”
He added, “Getting hit 5 times in 15 at-bats added to that pressure, and I reacted in a way I’m not proud of. This game means the world to me, and so do the people who play it. I respect every one of you, not just as a player, but as a teammate and competitor.”
Robles is rehabbing a dislocated left shoulder he suffered in April.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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