Two Captains, One Heart

Two Captains, One Heart: Munson and Judge Through the Batboy!

by Ray Negron

May 2025

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Note - This article was shared with SSTN by Ray Negron, the author, and a friend. This originally ran on https://nyctastemakers.com/ on May 1, 2025 and is used with the permission of the author.

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I’ve walked the halls of Yankee Stadium for five decades. I’ve shined Reggie’s shoes as the Yankees’ batboy. I’ve sat quietly in George Steinbrenner’s office as his aide-de-camp. I’ve mourned in silence inside an empty locker after one of our own never came home. Through all the years, all the titles, and all the changes, the word “Captain” has never been handed out lightly in the Bronx.

There have only been a few Yankees who’ve worn that title. Thurman Munson was the heart of the clubhouse when I first started with the team. And now, Aaron Judge carries the torch for a new generation. They are separated by decades, but connected by values, character, and the quiet weight of responsibility.

Thurman wasn’t flashy. He didn’t care for the cameras or the glitz. He cared about winning—and he cared about his teammates like they were his brothers. He was a blue-collar warrior in a pinstripe uniform, a man who brought Ohio grit to the lights of New York. When you walked into the clubhouse, Thurman’s presence grounded everyone. He led not just with stats, but with scars—playing through pain, sticking up for teammates, and never backing down from a challenge.

I still remember watching him sit silently after a game, ice on both knees, his hands taped, breathing heavy from the battle. But if a rookie was struggling, Thurman was the first guy to put an arm around him, sometimes without saying a word—just a look that said, “You belong here.”

He earned the captaincy because everyone knew he was already leading. Not with speeches, but with sacrifice.

Now you walk into the Yankee clubhouse in 2025, and it’s Aaron Judge whose locker is the anchor. Different era. Different pressures. Same standard.

Aaron Judge is a modern-day giant—in size and stature—but what makes him special is what made Thurman special: humility. Judge knows the history. He knows the names that came before him. He doesn’t play for Instagram likes—he plays for honoring the Yankees brand.

I’ve watched Judge treat stadium workers with the same respect as Hall of Famers. I’ve seen him take a kid aside and offer encouragement when no one’s watching. That’s leadership. And when the Yankees named him captain, it didn’t surprise anyone. Like Thurman, Judge had already been doing the job.

Judge understands that being captain of the Yankees isn’t about perks—it’s about responsibility. It’s about keeping the room steady when the headlines swirl. It’s about answering the hard questions and deflecting the praise. That’s exactly who he is.

Different Men, Same Mission

Thurman Munson was 5-foot-11, gritty and gruff. Aaron Judge stands 6-foot-7, polished but real. They couldn’t look more different. But they’d recognize each other in an instant if they met today. Two warriors. Two protectors of the Brand, not for status, but because others needed them.

Thurman’s life ended too soon, but his legacy still walks through the tunnels of this stadium. And now, when I see Aaron Judge greet a young fan or lift a teammate’s spirit after a tough loss, I can’t help but smile. Because in his own way, Judge is keeping Thurman and the legacy of all our Yankee greats alive!

Two captains. One heart.