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A coach in the Little League World Series ripped Major League star Aaron Judge earlier this week, and Judge's team has fired back.
Bob Laterza, the coach of South Shore Little League in Staten Island, which is representing the Metro region in the Little League World Series, called out Aaron Judge for allegedly ignoring his players during the Little League Classic and not meeting with them.
"How about turning around or wave to New York and the kids that think you’re a hero?" Laterza said. "They are the ones who pay your salary."
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Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees takes batting practice during the 2024 Gatorade All-Star Workout Day at Globe Life Field July 15, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The Yankees caught wind of Laterza's comments and responded, saying the coach could "learn a lot" from their captain.
"Our entire roster spent the day in Williamsport connecting with as many Little Leaguers as they possibly could prior to our game, including the team from Staten Island,’’ the Yankees said in a statement. "We commend all of our players for devoting their complete attention to the hundreds of kids who literally walked step-by-step alongside them from the moment the Yankees landed in Williamsport through the entirety of the evening.
"Our players were unequivocally committed to making the experience what it was intended to be — a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for young baseball players and their families from around the world to have meaningful and genuine interaction with some of Major League Baseball’s greatest players."
Judge signed autographs with other Major Leaguers throughout Sunday afternoon. He and his teammates even took a bus with one team from the players' village to the field. The Yankees said they were not responsible for the schedule given to them.
The New York Yankees' Aaron Judge celebrates hitting a home run during the first inning of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays Aug. 2, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
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"In fact, because Staten Island played on Sunday, our players went out of their way to spend time with them in the moments immediately before our game with the Tigers," the Yankees added.
Laterza also made a bold claim. Normally, the Yankees invite the Metro champion to a home game, and he said if that's the case, "they ain’t taking pictures with us either."
That didn't hurt the team's chances of getting invited. The Yanks say the South Shore Little League team will still be invited to the Bronx.
"However, it would have been much better if Staten Island’s coach called us to understand the facts before bitterly reacting in such a public fashion," the team continued. Reaching out to us would have been the prudent way to act and would have set a fine example for his young players.
Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees hits a single in the seventh inning against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field Aug. 13, 2024, in Chicago. (Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
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"Aaron Judge always acts with kindness and respect. The coach could learn a lot from him."
Laterza's squad was eliminated from the tournament Tuesday.
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