New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge may not be playing due to a recent injury, but he sings along with “God Bless America” every time it is played.
He opened up about this during an interview with NJ.com, stating, “Singing ‘God Bless America’ is my sign of respect for the veterans who are being honored on the field.”
“I have nothing but respect for them,” he added.
Not only that, but Judge also described his love of the National Anthem out of respect for American veterans. He said, “It was incredible to me the sacrifices those young men made.”
Judge went on, “They went overseas and endured incredible hardship, 18- and 19-year-olds, their courage. The ones that made it back, their lives were never the same, physically or emotionally.”
“So every time the anthem is played, especially on Opening Day, when we’re lined up (at the first base line) or when ‘God Bless America’ is played, I’m thanking those who made it possible for me to play a baseball game and make a living like that.
“Every time I see a soldier or marine or sailor – or a policeman or firefighter – I say, ‘thank you.’ I can’t thank them all, so I do it by singing.”
Judge’s new tradition has led other players to join him. Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Higashioka, and Anthony Volpe sing with Judge as a group.
Judge noted this is not a political statement. He said, “Being patriotic is something everyone can all share, and I don’t mean just my teammates, but the fans, too.”
Although Judge was recently voted to play in this year’s All-Star Game he is sitting this one out to recuperate and thanked fans for their support on Twitter. He has been out of the lineup with a toe injury since the beginning of June.
He said, “I plan to take this time to heal and rehab so I can get back on the field for my team and all of you.”
..the trip to Seattle. I plan to take this time to heal and rehab so I can get back on the field for my team and all of you. Again, I can’t thank the fans of MLB enough- you are all a huge part of what makes this game so great, and I cannot wait to get back out there. pic.twitter.com/VXbUdR2v0H
— Aaron Judge (@TheJudge44) July 9, 2023
He also expressed hopes to have fans join him when he gets back on the field and sings. During his NJ.com interview, he stated, “I wish everyone in the Stadium would join us. It’s the least we can do.”