Judge, Boone Respond to Personal Hitting Coach’s Comments
NEW YORK — As Aaron Judge attempts to lead the Yankees out of their summer slump, which has seen them fall from first place in the American League East, he said on Friday that he’s not interested in social media posts.
However, Twitter/X became a topic of discussion before the game when Judge’s personal hitting coach, Richard Schenck, criticized the Yankees’ player development during Thursday’s game. Schenck tweeted from his @Teacherman1986 account: “They’ve lost 13 out of 18 while he’s hitting like an MVP[.] The Yankees offensive player development is terrible,” in response to a YES Network post about Judge’s stats in Yankees victories.
Judge said he hadn’t seen the tweet until a reporter showed it to him before Friday’s game. “It doesn’t involve me, to be honest,” Judge said. “It’s somebody else making a comment. I’m not going to comment for somebody else. … I’ve got no control over what another person does. It’s out of my control. I’ve got nothing for you.”
Judge confirmed he still works with Schenck every two weeks. Schenck, based in St. Peters, Mo., helped Judge refine his swing during the 2016-17 offseason. Schenck, who owns a local billiards hall, claims to have uncovered the secrets of Barry Bonds’ swing mechanics and often travels to meet the Yankees, working with Judge in a batting cage away from the stadium.
Some teammates, like Anthony Rizzo, occasionally join these sessions. Schenck is not employed by the Yankees in any capacity.
Notably, Friday’s Yankees lineup featured four homegrown players: Judge, first baseman Ben Rice, catcher Austin Wells, and shortstop Anthony Volpe.
When asked about Schenck’s comment, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said it was “out of your control.” Boone added, “People are going to say things, and certainly everyone is entitled to their opinion. Especially when you go through a tough stretch and you wear this uniform, I know people are going to take shots and things like that.
“You can’t get all consumed with all that stuff. We’ve got enough to worry about, making sure we’re buttoned up and putting our best foot forward every day. So that’s the focus.”
