Sports Talk. Lots of it

Aaron Judge hitting his 60th home run last week (Photo: Getty Images)

 It was double play talk show day.

"Doubleheader" followed an hour later by "Poughkeepsie Nissan Monday Night Sports."

One on WGCH. One on Z 93.

One was hosted by me, talking to myself for an hour.

One was hosted by Rick Zolzer and me, and normally Fran Pomarico but he's in New Jersey at the Giants game.

At one point, Zolz asked me how long the drive is, as it has become a running gag to say I've come from an incredibly far-off place. I think my favorite so far has been Guam.

Anyway, per Google, the answer is approximately 70 miles one way, and that sounds right.

So, yeah, that's quite a commitment to make.

Why do it? Well, because I enjoy hanging out with Zolz, Fran, and Uncle Mike Hansen, who serves as operations guru for the show.

But, yeah, that drive is a beast, especially coming home. Doing what I do is taxing in its own way. Heavy lifting? No, of course not. Obviously, it's not rocket science. But, just as with play-by-play, it's a dance of coming up with things to talk about. So there's a certain mental aspect to it.

And, let's face it, we debate and mix it up a bit.

In that regard, it's nice to have other people to do a show with. On the other hand, a solo show means I can blaze my own trail.

I'll likely do it again this week, with "Doubleheader" followed a few hours later by the return of "The Clubhouse" on Wednesday. We've moved to a new location in Mount Kisco. Beyond that, it's Mark, Dave, Bob, and me doing what we do.

*****

OK, I'll admit it.

Aaron Judge is killing me.

Don't get me wrong. The Yankees are playing well and are close to wrapping up the AL East title.

But, man, he's working hard to get that 61st home run, tying him with Roger Maris for most in Yankees and American League history.

The pressure has increased with each at bat.

I heard him hit his 60th last Tuesday night on the radio and was thrilled. It was overwhelming as I never thought I'd see a Yankees player reach the mark set by Babe Ruth in 1927.

Thus, after 60, comes 61.

In 1961, of course.

I'm a Roger Maris fan. I always admired him as a player and person. No, he was not media friendly. You've read all of the stories and probably seen 61*, the movie directed by Billy Crystal.

By literally every account, Maris was a good and honorable man.

Maris confided that he ultimately did want to hit 61, passing the Ruth record. He did so on a 2-0 Tracy Stallard fastball on Oct 1, 1961.

Judge is easy to root for. He's got a California cool about him, has been good with the media, and is beloved by his teammates. He's also pushing for only the second triple crown in baseball since 1967 (Miguel Cabrera in 2012).

So it's a pretty historic thing.

But, even without hitting the 61st home run, the Yankees are still winning and Judge is still producing. It's been an honor to watch it happen.

(And, as I write, the Blue Jays just walked Judge intentionally in what might be his last plate appearance of the night. It's a baseball move. So it goes.)

I kept my phone nearby the entire time I was in San Francisco, monitoring every Judge at bat. I'd listen on my phone or find a TV and take it all in.

Of course, and I can't make this clear enough, Judge won't be setting the baseball record. That is held by Barry Bonds, who hit 73 home runs in 2001. Look, dirty, or otherwise, that's the record. The thing is that the overall court of public opinion is that Bonds owns the cheating record.

Maris is considered the clean record.

Judge is one away from tying that.

Please, for the love Ruth, just get it over with.

Along with winning the triple crown.

And winning a World Series.

It's not a lot to ask, right?