Aaron Judge on umpires missing home run call: Thats a fair ball

Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.TAMPA — If Aaron Judge comes up one home run short of breaking his own AL record this season, Sunday will live in infamy.The Yankees star appeared to have crushed his eighth home run of the season in the eighth inning Sunday at Steinbrenner Field, a moonshot down the left field line, only for it to be ruled foul by third base umpire Scott Barry.A crew chief review provided the opportunity to get the call right, but the replay center back in New York ultimately decided that the call on the field stood, robbing Judge of a solo shot.“The audacity of the call standing is remarkable,” said Aaron Boone, who was ejected one pitch later when Judge was called out on strikes, giving the manager the chance to get his money’s worth on the field, arguing with both home plate umpire Adam Beck and then Barry.After the game, before meeting with reporters, Boone walked out of the clubhouse and into the video room with coaching assistant Brett Weber, who heads the Yankees’ replay system.

Boone wanted to get another look at the play, which only confirmed his initial feeling.“It’s a home run,” Boone said.“I get it’s high, towering.

But then it goes to replay and I guess they couldn’t find enough conclusive [evidence].We’ve got to live with the call.”Judge smiled wistfully when asked about the call after the 4-0 win over the Rays.“It was a fair ball,” Judge said.

“That’s why we got replay.It’s not on the umpire — it’s tough on a situation like this where, at a minor league park, the foul poles aren’t as high.

That’s why you have replay, they have every angle.That’s a fair ball.”Except in this case, replay did not save the day for Judge, who would have had eight homers in his first 22 games of the season (putting him on pace for 59 across 162 games, just shy of his record 62).“I think everybody...