Aaron Judge’s No. 62 home run baseball was sold for $1.25 million in a sale held by Goldin Auctions that ended Saturday night. Closing costs of $250,000 drove the final price to $1.5 million, still a far cry from the initial $3 million offered to seller Cory Youmans earlier this year.
Judge hit the record homer October 4 during the second game of a doubleheader against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington, getting the best of right-hander Jesus Tinoco to grab the American League and New York Yankees record over Roger Maris.
A free agent after the season, Judge agreed to a nine-year, $360 million contract to return to the Bronx, although the club has to yet to formally announce the deal.
The ball was caught in the left-field seats by Youmans, a financial advisor from Dallas, who declined to give it back to Judge and ultimately turned down a private offer to sell it for $3 million.
“It seems fair in the sense it gives anyone that is interested and has the means the opportunity to own it,” Youmans told ESPN last month before putting the ball up for auction. “As a fan, I’m curious to see what it’s worth, who buys it and what they do with it.”
Appraiser Ken Goldin told Sportico at the time Judge hit the homer that collectors could net as much a $3 million total for Judge’s ball, bat and jersey.
The ball checks in at $1.25 million, while the bat has been appraised at $1 million and the No. 99 jersey $750,000, Goldin said.
According to Goldin Auction’s website, the high bid for the ball as of Friday was $1.2 million, $1.44 million, including a buyer’s premium. The Judge ball’s closing price remains less than half the $3.05 million Todd McFarlane paid for Mark McGwire’s then record 70th home run ball hit in 1998.
Like Maris, Judge hit his homer in the Yankees’ 161st game of the season. Unlike Maris' 1961 team, these Yankees had another game to play, but manager Aaron Boone rested Judge.
The slugger followed with a slower postseason, going 5-for-36 (.139) with 15 strikeouts and two homers as the Yanks were swept by the eventual World Series-winning Houston Astros in the AL Championship Series.
On Judge’s record-setting night, Youmans was seated in the front row of the left field stands. He ranged across a walkway of Section 31 where he gloved the milestone baseball on the fly, impressing Judge at the time.
“He made a great catch out there, and [he has] got every right to it,” Judge said after that game.
It was a long journey for Judge as he swung toward the record. He hit No. 60 to tie Babe Ruth on Sept. 20 at Yankee Stadium against Pittsburgh and had to wait eight games before equaling Maris Sept. 28 in Toronto.
He went six games again before hitting the record breaker, including the first game of that day-night doubleheader when he went 1-for-5 with a single.
It didn’t take long in the nightcap, as Judge led off and slugged a 1-1 pitch. The ball disappeared after that.
Judge said during a conference call last month after he was named AL MVP that he couldn’t afford to buy back that baseball. He was given the balls from homers 60 and 61.
“Oh, no. I haven't signed my free-agent deal yet, so I think that's a little out of my price range right now,” Judge said. “That’s a lot of money. But I guess [Youmans] has a better plan or thinks he can get some more.”
Judge, with his new deal in place, can afford it. Youmans, when the gavel fell, offered no comment.
