We are approaching two weeks since the Blue Jays and Yankees played a fiery series that included nitpicking about base coach positioning and skepticism about Aaron Judge peeking into the Yankee dugout just before a home run. But the Blue Jays are still there.
Chris Bassitt, who went seven strong innings in the Blue Jays’ lone win over the Yankees in that series, went on Jomboy’s podcast to talk about Judge, who claimed his glances into the visitor’s dugout during a 6-3 win in the first game of the series weren’t about being fed pitches, but rather because his teammates were horsing around to a degree he didn’t appreciate.
According to Bassitt, that is unequivocally untrue, and he believes Judge made up a story in order to keep the Jays off the trail of their pitch tipping.
“They knew we were tipping and they were relaying tips,” Bassitt said Monday. “Is that illegal? No. Is it kind of that grey area, of ‘if the first and third base coaches are having to relay tips?’…you can argue that back and forth. Judge’s response to it? I had no problem with it. Was it a lie? Yeah, it was a lie. What do you want him to do, come out and say: ‘Hey, all their pitchers are tipping and I’m going to tell them how they’re tipping.’ I just think he kind of made up a story just to basically kind of say, like, ‘I’m not going to tell them they’re tipping. Why would I say that?'”
Chris Bassitt says the Yankees were relaying tips to Aaron Judge before his controversial home run in Toronto, although he did admit this is not technically illegal.
“Judge’s response to it? I had no problem with it. Was it a lie? Yeah, it was a lie.” pic.twitter.com/CUqh3CbFhe
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 29, 2023
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Blue Jays pitcher Jay Jackson has said since that he was tipping pitches, and Toronto manager John Schneider also effectively said he didn’t believe Judge’s explanation.
“I’m not in the business of buying postgame media,” Schneider said, per New York Daily News’ Gary Phillips. “It’s, again, a really accomplished hitter who won MVP last year. I just found it a little funny that he was worried about his his dugout while he was in the batter’s box.”
Here’s the glance in question.
Aaron Judge hits a home run as the Blue Jays broadcasters wonder why he keeps glancing toward the dugout pic.twitter.com/ZrOY7grbYV
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 16, 2023
“There was a lot of chirping from our dugout which I really didn’t like in a situation where it was a 6-0 game,” Judge said to initially explain the peek, per Sportsnet. “When [Aaron Boone] got tossed, I was trying to save Boonie by calling time out. Like ‘hold up here.’ So, I was trying to see who was chirping in the dugout … I’m looking like ‘who’s still talking here?’ It’s 6-0. Our manager got tossed. He did his job. Let’s go back to playing ball.”
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If the Yankee dugout was relaying pitches to Judge based on tips, that in and of itself is not illegal. But at this point, the Blue Jays seem committed to letting everyone know Judge was doing something, whether it was illegal or not.