New York Mets catcher Luis Torrens told a story regarding Aaron Judge being a consummate teammate and leader. The spaces between the bright lights of the Bronx and the dingy floors of A-ball Charleston could not appear wider. Similarly, signing as a free agent as opposed to a first-round pick could not look more different.
In life, hierarchy exists, separating the stars from the regular players. Regardless of the wide acceptance of that thought, you can see it. In baseball, the theory of “25 cabs for 25 players” exists, where players do not associate after games. On selfish teams, there is a palpable lack of camaraderie. When discussing his former minor league teammate, Torrens opened up about how Judge never exuded an egotistical vibe.
Aaron Judge’s History of Authenticity Goes Back to the Minors, Asserts Former Teammate
Lazily, some describe Judge as “larger than life.” Standing six-foot-seven and weighing 282 pounds, the outfielder towers over the majority of the players that he encounters. In the middle of a career that will likely end up in Cooperstown, you could see where a player of his magnitude could suffer from an enlarged ego.
However, humility and a strong sense of team bring Judge even closer to his teammates at all levels of the game. Torrens played alongside Judge in 2014 as members of the Yankees Single-A ballclub, the Charleston Sea Dogs. That summer, Torrens saw the future All-Star who never changed his demeanor when interacting with teammates, even back then. He spoke to Robert Hoch, writer for Yankees Beat, stating:
“You saw he was huge and strong. You thought he was going to take advantage of that,” Torrens said, suggesting Judge could have steamrolled any room without protest. “But he was completely the opposite guy. He wasn’t quiet, but he tried to help people a lot and take care of you. He was on your side.”
Somewhere, the speech that Ben Parker gave his nephew, Peter (Spider-Man), about the connection between power and responsibility should echo. Most Sea Dogs never made the majors, hitting the independent trail or workforce.
Yet, the respect from the future face of the organization to even a light-hitting catcher goes a long way. In interviews and reading the accounts from teammates and opponents alike, the kind nature of arguably the game’s most feared power hitter never goes unnoticed.
Last weekend, Torrens reunited with his former teammate when the Mets played the Yankees. Despite playing on bitter rivals in the same city, the catcher remained not only objective but also reverent and respectful of that same tall outfielder from 11 summers ago.