Sep 3, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Jasson Dominguez (89) celebrates with designated hitter Aaron Judge (99) after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
MLB: New York Yankees at Houston Astros
(Bronx, NY) – You never know how a small gesture might make a big impact on someone’s day. And that’s especially true for anyone who’s a new face in a famous place.
For Yankees’ rookie outfielder Jasson Domínguez, it was a tiny gesture made by a mountain of a man that made him feel at home during spring training. As told to The Athletic, Domínguez was eating lunch at the team’s facility in Tampa when he had a chance to catch up with team captain Aaron Judge.
Domínguez tells The Athletic he was taken aback meeting the MLB star, but found the 6’7” is surprisingly down to earth. As the pair made small talk and finished lunch, Judge went to throw away his plate – and grabbed Domínguez’ plate on the way, tossing it out as well. The friendly move stayed with Domínguez: “I told all of my family, ‘Judge took my plate!’ It was a big surprise to me.”
Fresh off inking a $360 million contract, and 11-years-older than Domínguez, Judge was reminded of that humble moment, and he let out a slight chuckle: “We’re all in this together.” Judge also reportedly bought suits that rookie Anthony Volpe has worn on road trips.
As for the lunch room encounter, Judge said, “I was getting up, and I had somewhere to be, but I saw (Domínguez) was done, so it was just, ‘I’m heading this way anyway. Let me take this for you, man. Hang out here.’ I think there were a couple of other guys with us, too. I don’t know. I’ve always tried to do that. Other guys have done that for me. We’re a team. It doesn’t matter if he’s in High A or Low A or just got drafted. You’re still wearing the pinstripes. You’re still wearing the ‘NY’ logo. You’re still part of this team. At some point, we’re going to be teammates.”
Domínguez is a brand new major leaguer, and he’s getting to know his new surroundings and teammates better, but says Judge’s leadership stands out. That’s great news for the team that handed Judge the big contract and the keys to the clubhouse, naming him team captain prior to the start of this season.
