Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider couldn't bear the sight of Aaron Judge walking to the plate again.
After smashing a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning — his 41st of the season — to give the New York Yankees a lead they would never surrender Saturday afternoon, Judge came to the plate again in the bottom of the second inning.
This time, there were no runners on for the Yankees captain to drive in, but there's always the chance he hits a solo dinger.
With two outs in the inning, Schneider didn't feel like seeing an encore of Judge's first at-bat. So he didn't even give the American League MVP favorite the chance.
Schneider motioned to his battery of Jose Berrios and Alejandro Kirk to intentionally walk Judge. His reasoning was understandable.
"I honestly didn’t feel like seeing him swing,” Schneider said after the game. “We talk about being really careful with him, and that’s what can lead to mistakes when you’re trying to be really fine. He’s in a different category than anyone else in the league. He can flip the script of a game with one swing.”
It worked, too. The Blue Jays got out of the inning without any further damage.
We, as many others have, called it the Barry Bonds treatment — an homage to the slugger's ridiculous 2004 season when he was intentionally walked 120 times.
But even Bonds didn't accomplish this rare feat. Judge is the first hitter this season to be given a free pass with the base empty.
He's also the first player in 50 years to get a bases-empty intentional walk within the first two innings of a game. The last time it happened was in 1972 when California Angels pitcher Rudy May walked Minnesota Twins catcher Glenn Borgmann.
While both were strategic moves by the pitchers, May's was due to the fact that a pitcher was hitting behind Borgmann — it was before the designated hitter was established.
Walking Judge on Saturday was purely out of respect for the incredible season he's having. He's striking fear into the hearts of his opponents within the first two innings of games.
To be quite honest, it's difficult to blame Schneider, especially when it works.
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