Still, the social media site was a topic of conversation prior to the game after Richard Schenck, Judge’s personal hitting instructor, posted a comment during Thursday’s game critical of the Yankees’ development.
In response to a YES Network post highlighting Judge’s stats in Yankees wins, Schenck posted via his @Teacherman1986 account: “They’ve lost 13 of 18 games while he’s hitting like an MVP[.] The development of the Yankees offensive players has been terrible.”
Judge said he didn’t see the message until a reporter showed it to him before Friday’s game.
“It’s none of my business, honestly,” Judge said. “It’s somebody else making a comment. I’m not going to comment for somebody else. … I can’t control what anybody else does. It’s out of my control. I have nothing for you.”
Judge confirmed that he will continue to work with Schenck “every two weeks.” Judge credited Schenck, who lives in St. Peters, Missouri and owns/operates a local pool hall, for helping him improve his swing during the 2016-17 off-season.
Schenck, who claims to have unlocked the secrets that made Barry Bonds’ swing mechanics so deadly, travels regularly to meet with the Yankees at home or on the road. Judge and Schenck work together in a batting cage far from the major league stadium.
Some of Judge’s teammates, such as Anthony Rizzo, have occasionally joined in on those sessions. To be clear, Schenck is not employed by the Yankees in any capacity.
It should be noted that the Yankees fielded a lineup on Friday that included four homegrown players: Judge, first baseman Ben Rice, catcher Austin Wells and shortstop Anthony Volpe.
Asked for his reaction to Schenck’s comment, Yankees manager Aaron Boone echoed Judge’s words, saying it was “out of your control.”
“People are going to say things, and everyone is entitled to their opinion, of course,” Boone said. “Especially when you’re going through a tough time and you’re wearing this uniform, I know people are going to fire shots and things like that.
“You can’t get caught up in all that stuff. We’ve got enough to worry about, making sure we’re bundled up and doing our best every day. So that’s where the focus is.”