Skip to content

Mark Teixeira: Judge 'woke a sleeping giant' playing 'New York, New York' at Fenway

Maddie Meyer / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Former New York Yankees All-Star Mark Teixeira isn't a fan of Aaron Judge's trolling techniques.

Following the Yankees' Game 2 win over the Boston Red Sox that knotted the ALDS at one game apiece, Judge walked past the home clubhouse at Fenway Park with speakers blaring "New York, New York" - the iconic Frank Sinatra tune that's played after every game at Yankee Stadium.

After the Game 2 loss and Judge's antics that followed, Boston won two straight games in New York - including handing the Yankees their worst playoff loss in franchise history - to eliminate their bitter rivals in four games.

Teixeira, who was part of the Yankees' most recent World Series-winning club in 2009, had some harsh words for his former teammate in the aftermath of the Bronx Bombers' defeat, suggesting that his troll move lit a fire under the Red Sox.

"You woke a sleeping giant," Teixeira told ESPN's "Get Up!" program on Wednesday regarding Judge's musical choice, according to Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post. "Aaron Judge has no rings. And I have a ton of respect for Aaron Judge, I think he will have rings. But when you boast - when you wake a sleeping giant in Boston - on your way out back to Yankee Stadium and then get your butts kicked two games in a row, I just think that you might want to let your bat do the talking. Because Aaron Judge's bat will talk."

Teixeira later took to Twitter to clarify some of his comments, saying that Judge actually playing the song wasn't really that much of a problem.

The Red Sox added to Judge's misery following their Game 4 win when they trolled Judge by blaring "New York, New York" as they celebrated the series win inside Yankee Stadium.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora revealed after Game 4 that injured second baseman Dustin Pedroia was the one who told the team about Judge's antics, and he said that his team has no issue with what the Yankee star did.

"When Dustin brought it up, I said, 'Well, they know it happened,'" Cora told WEEI's John Tomase early Wednesday morning. "I don't know if they took it personal, but it's just, I don't know, if we played 'Dirty Water' (the Red Sox victory song) at Yankee Stadium, and they would have clinched in Fenway, they would have played 'Dirty Water' in their clubhouse."

"He's a good kid," Cora added in regards to Judge. "He's a good player, one of the best in the game. He's one of those guys that can become the face of baseball. From afar, I really enjoy watching him play, not when he's playing against us. So he's good for baseball. Nothing personal with him."

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox