The stars were out this past weekend for the 98th annual Baseball Writers’ Association of America Awards dinner in New York, and no one shone brighter than Aaron Judge.

The new Yankees captain picked up three awards at the New York Hilton Midtown, including his 2022 American League Most Valuable Player Award. Judge was also honored with the Joe DiMaggio Toast of the Town Award and the Sid Mercer/Dick Young New York Player of the Year Award, bestowed by the New York BBWAA chapter.

“None of this would be possible without God surrounding me with so many great individuals,” Judge said. “I’d like to thank my wife, Samantha, for her love and support throughout the year and our lives. You continue to push me and motivate me, day in and day out, even if it’s 2:30 in the morning and we’re sitting on the couch, breaking down my film. You’re right there with me.

“My parents, Patty and Wayne. The sacrifices you made as I was growing up, I’ll never, ever forget that. You guys would come home from work, and I’d run up to you guys and say, ‘Hey, can we play catch? Can we go to the batting cage?’ You guys never said no. You never hesitated. All you would ask is, ‘Did you finish your homework?’”

Judge also thanked his representatives, the Yankees organization and the fans of New York for their support during his chase to eclipse Roger Maris’ single-season AL home run record.

“Stepping up to the plate and seeing all of Yankee Stadium on their feet, phones out, you could kind of hear a pin drop,” Judge said. “It was a pretty surreal moment. You guys were with me every step of the way, and I can’t thank you enough for every high and every low moment of the season. You guys were with us and helped put me in this position.”

Judge said the 2022 season showed him that “no matter what you’re trying to accomplish, or anything you’re going through, you’re never alone” -- especially in New York.

During Saturday’s ceremony, the Yankees’ Anthony Rizzo was honored with the Joan Payson/Shannon Forde Community Service Award. Albert Pujols, Paul Goldschmidt, Sandy Alcantara, Justin Verlander, Julio Rodríguez, Michael Harris II and Jeremy Peña were among the luminaries also on the dais.

Other award recipients with New York connections included Edwin Díaz (Ben Epstein-Dan Castellano “Good Guy” Award), Buck Showalter (NL Manager of the Year), Gary Cohen, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez (Willie, Mickey & the Duke Award), and Howie Rose and Mike Vaccaro (Arthur & Milton Richman “You Gotta Have Heart” Awards).

Each week, we invite newsletter readers to share a treasured Yankees-related story or anecdote. This week, we feature Arthur Schaffer Jr. and an encounter with “Louisiana Lightning”:

I was born and raised in Chicago, but I have been a Yankee fan since the 1950s. My first son was born in September 1980, and instead of attending Spring Training that year, we visited my sister in Houston. We planned to see the Yankees play the Pirates in New Orleans on our way home. When I was checking into the hotel, I was standing behind a man I was sure I knew. When he got up to the receptionist, she said, welcome, “Mr. Guidry.” I ran and got my wife and son, who had his Yankee jersey on. Ron was heading toward the elevators, and I called, “Hey, Ron!” He stopped, met my wife and son, and signed his baby shot record book. My wife thinks he might have been a little surprised.

We'd love to hear from you! Submissions for “It's Fun To Be A Fan” can be e-mailed to bryan.hoch@mlb.com.

Derek Jeter made his famous dive into the stands at Yankee Stadium on July 1, 2004. Who was the Red Sox batter?

A. Johnny Damon
B. Kevin Millar
C. Trot Nixon
D. David Ortiz

Sturtze pitched for 12 seasons in the big leagues with the Cubs, Rangers, White Sox, Devil Rays, Blue Jays, Yankees and Dodgers. A right-handed reliever, he heard his name called frequently while wearing pinstripes from 2004-06. Sturtze recently participated in the Yankees’ Fantasy Camp as a guest instructor.  

What do you remember from your first day as a Yankee?

Walking into that awesome old stadium. You’d walk in following the different [painted] line than usually going to the visiting clubhouse -- that’s the No. 1 memory. Blue goes to the home clubhouse, and not going [along the] red. Being a Boston kid, that had a lot of meaning for me. I loved putting the pinstripes on. Still to this day, it’s one of my best memories, being able to go out on that field and be part of the Yankees.

Who stands out among your favorite teammates from those years?

[Jorge] Posada and Jeter. They’re still good friends of mine, and I still see them a lot back home. I’m in South Florida now, so I get to play golf with those guys quite a bit. Moose [Mike Mussina] was my locker mate, so it was great to be with him and listen to him talk about the game and learn a lot of stuff from him. Mo [Mariano Rivera] was my throwing partner for the three years there, so I got to learn a lot from him. His ball moves as much as everybody says it does. He broke my thumb every day of the week.

You were on the mound when Jeter made his famous dive into the stands (July 1, 2004). How do you remember that play?

I couldn’t believe he got to it. And I was very happy he got to it, because it was a Red Sox game. My view was great; I still can’t believe that he got to that ball and laid out like he did. When Jeter was cut up, I felt horrible, but listen -- that’s just the way he was. He was that kind of guy. He’d do anything for his teammates, and he showed it, especially for me right there.

This week in 2011, Andy Pettitte announced his retirement in a news conference at Yankee Stadium, telling reporters, “My heart’s not where it needs to be.” Pettitte’s first crack at retirement wouldn’t last long. He attended Spring Training in 2012 as a guest instructor and soon unretired, making 42 more starts over the 2012-13 seasons. Pettitte concluded his career with a 256-153 record and a 3.85 ERA in 531 games.

C. Trot Nixon

Nixon was batting in the top of the 12th inning with two outs, and the Yankees and Red Sox tied, 3-3. Had Jeter not ranged across the outfield grass to snare Nixon’s pop fly, it would have fallen in for a two-run hit. Jeter left the game with a bloodied chin and a bruised shoulder. New York won in the 13th on John Flaherty’s walk-off single.

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