BOSTON — Aaron Judge believes Ted Williams hit Fenway Park’s legendary red seat, but he doesn’t think anyone else will.
Even though the Yankees lost Friday night, 9-7, after blowing a late three-run lead to the Red Sox, the assembled media in front of the Yankees slugger wanted to ask him about his home run.
It was too good not to.
Judge has hit a lot of home runs, and many of them have gone a long way, but this one went 470 feet to a part of Fenway Park that’s almost impossible to reach. It sailed just over the TV camera perch in deep center field and just under the left-most of the park’s three video boards. He crushed it.
“I try not to watch them. I had to check the replay to see where it went,” Judge said. “I was just happy it gave us three runs.”
Yankee Manager Aaron Boone couldn’t tell where it landed.
“I just know when he squared it up it was as clean as you can hit a baseball,” Boone said.
It was the third longest home run in Fenway Park since Statcast began recording official distances in 2015. Miguel Sanó hit one 485 feet in 2021 and Vlad Guerrero Jr. hit one 471 feet earlier this year.
“The big boy is who he is. He’s amazing,” Red Sox Manager Alex Cora said. “I haven’t seen a guy hit a ball there since ‘07 when Manny (Ramirez) used to lift up there.”
But the recognized longest home run ever in Fenway Park is Ted Williams’ 502-foot shot to right field on June 9, 1946. As far as Judge hit the ball, Williams’ home run went 32 feet farther en route to Seat 21 in Row 37 of section 42.
Many Red Sox players since then, especially left-handed power hitters, have questioned the accuracy of the almost 80-year-old measurement. Mo Vaughn was skeptical. David Ortiz didn’t believe it. Earlier this year, Triston Casas crushed a ball 429 feet in April and couldn’t believe how much further it still was from the Red Seat.
That’s a long home run, but still at least a two-putt from Williams’ legendary clout.
“That’s my best ball, for sure,” Casas said. “I had one hit harder, exit velo-wise, last year. But that Ted Williams seat is starting to feel more and more like a myth.”
Alex Cora was diplomatic after hearing Casas’ comments.
“It was probably a very windy day when (Williams) hit it,” Cora said. “I don’t know the conditions that day. But it’s a long ways.”
What does Judge think?
“Yeah, that’s impossible,” he said.
Was Williams’ hit an exaggeration? A myth?
“Not a myth. I think he definitely did it,” Judge said, shaking his head. “But that’s a tough one.”
RIGHT-HANDED SLUGGER Tyler O’Neill is second on the Red Sox in homers (20), slugging percentage (.536) and OPS (.890).
But Cora decided to pinch hit for him with the Red Sox trailing 7-6 in the eighth inning Friday. Cora had rookie left-handed hitter Wilyer Abreu hit for O’Neill against Yankees right-handed closer Clay Holmes. Abreu’s RBI double tied it at 7. Masataka Yoshida followed with a go-ahead two-run single.
Cora pointed to Holmes’ numbers against right-handed hitters. Holmes has held righties to a .222 batting average, while left-handed hitters were hitting .295 against him.
“I think it’s the guy that’s on the mound. He’s really good against righties and we felt like that was the right matchup,” Cora said. “Obviously, I bet inside he (O’Neill) is disappointed. But he’s a team player and he understands what we’re trying to accomplish here.”
O’Neill has 11 homers, a .305 on-base percentage and .448 slugging percentage against righties.
“He was on the first step right there, cheering for his teammate, and that was awesome,” Cora said.
Abreu has an .853 OPS against righties.
“It means a lot to me that Alex had the confidence to give me that opportunity,” Abreu said through interpreter Carlos Villoria Benítez. “Obviously we know how good he (O’Neill) is.”
Abreu is 3 for 12 with two doubles, two RBI, two walks and seven strikeouts as a pinch hitter this season.
“You have to get ready,” Abreu said. “You have to stay warm. You have to take some swings so you’re ready when that opportunity comes up.”
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