New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge tied the American League home run record earlier this week, hitting his 61st blast of the season. YES Network announcer Michael Kay defended his home run call by pointing out the fact that regardless of the people ahead of Judge on the single-season list being potentially “tainted” by steroid allegations, they still hit more home runs.
During The Michael Kay Show, Kay and co-hosts Don La Greca and Peter Rosenberg were discussing the comments made by Roger Maris Jr. saying his father’s record is the “real record” for hitting 61 home runs in 1961 without the help of performance enhancing drugs.
“Really it’s everybody’s own individual feeling, but to ask Major League Baseball to take an eraser out and say Bonds out, McGwire out, Sosa out, they’re not gonna do it. They’re not gonna do it,” Kay reiterated. “You can say it, and that’s why when making the call — although it’s wordy and clunky — you have to say he is the American League home run leader. You can’t say he’s the home run leader. He’s not! The record books tell you he’s not!”
La Greca then told Kay he was stating facts and was obligated to the facts. He added “you can’t give an opinion on it. The record says that Bonds broke the record”.
