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South Shore Little League manager Bob Laterza made some scathing comments about Yankees star Aaron Judge, accusing him of snubbing his team during Major League Baseball’s Little League Classic Sunday night.
According to SILive.com, Laterza, whose LLWS team hails from Staten Island, claimed they were promised a special meet-and-greet with New York Yankees players. Which they got.
DJ LeMahieu and Tim Hill met with the team at the International Grove, where they are staying during the tournament. Then, later at the MLB game at Bowman Field, the players got to meet Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, Jasson Dominguez, manager Aaron Boone and former Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher.
.@GerritCole45 x Staten Island Little League 🤝#LittleLeagueClassic pic.twitter.com/FWSgL5AHpD
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 18, 2024
Aaron Judge was there for the game, and did meet some Little League World Series players, but Laterza says he never interacted with his New York-based youngsters.
Laterza admitted his boys were bummed to miss out on the big man, who he alleges never showed face with his team, despite being seen with others. They had hoped that their seats behind home plate would allow them an interaction with him in the on-deck circle, but Laterza says No. 99 ignored the youths bellowing his name from some 10 to 20 feet away.
“How about turning around or wave to New York and the kids that think you’re a hero?” said Laterza. “They are the ones who pay your salary. They were disappointed. Maybe he’ll want to make up for it and come and see them.”
After the Yankees’ game Sunday night, Aaron Judge talked about the experience.
“I wish we got to spend more time with the kids and hang out with them,” NJ.com reports Judge said after the Yankees’ loss. “We kind of got rushed around a little bit. But the moments we did get to spend with them and get to talk with them and answering questions and have some fun with them, ask them questions, how are they enjoying this experience out here … That for me was definitely the best part.”
As for Bob Laterza and his South Shore squad, they play their next game on Tuesday against the loser of Monday’s game between Florida and Texas.
“We’re playing good ball. We’re gonna win another game or two and shake ‘em up a little bit,” he told SILive.com. “After we win this thing, they ain’t taking pictures with us either. Only Aaron Boone and the guys who showed up!”