An old clip of the LA Dodgers' Mookie Betts and New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge talking baseball was posted to the Bleacher Report YouTube channel on Friday. While talking about their experiences of playing in various cities, Mookie Betts brought up a key difference between the fanbase of the Dodgers compared to that of the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.
According to Betts, Dodgers fans were much more "chill," whereas Yankees and Red Sox fans weren't afraid to call their players out if they made mistakes or underperformed. Betts was drafted by the Red Sox and played at Fenway Park for five seasons, winning his first World Series.
An excerpt originally part of June 3, 2023's episode of 'On Base' was re-posted on October 26. In the clip, Betts highlights the key difference between the two kinds of fanbases, saying:
"LA's fanbase is just more chill. I feel in New York, and even in Boston, [if] you start struggling, they're gonna boo you. They don't care who you are. I appreciated that, because it made me strap it on everyday, [thinking] 'I gotta go perform,'" Betts said [4:02].
Aaron Judge agreed with what Betts said, recalling certain instances where Yankees fans were not afraid to speak their mind, even to one of their greatest players.
"I agree, that's another reason why I love playing in New York. Doesn't matter who you're playing that night, you know, the fans are going to bring it. If I'm 0-for-3 that night, and now I'm 0-for-4 with a punchout, walking back to the dugout, they're going to let me know, 'Man, I paid all this money to come watch you do something, you ain't do nothing. You gotta pick it up,'" Judge said.
"Like you said, it makes you strap it on every single night, because these fans are watching, they understand the game. When you have a big homer to win the game, they're right there with you cheering, but if you ground into a double play to end the game, they're gonna let you know too," Judge added.
Mookie Betts and Aaron Judge face off for the ultimate prize in the 2024 World Series
As the Dodgers and the Yankees face off for the 2024 World Series, Mookie Betts and Aaron Judge find themselves on opposite ends. Betts' team holds the advantage with a 2-0 series lead.
Betts has looked in good touch in the postseason, with a .294 batting average, four home runs and 13 RBIs. On the other hand, Aaron Judge has been unable to replicate his incredible regular season form in the playoffs, batting only .150.
The series is still far from over as the teams head to Yankee Stadium for the next three games. New York has looked strong at home all season and will back itself to get back in the series on Monday.