‘Who is Aaron Judge?’: The Argentine newspaper is stunned that the Yankees superstar has been voted TIME’s ‘Athlete of the Year’ over World Cup winner Lionel Messi… and insists the ‘rest of the world’ should take their man would choose
- Argentinian newspaper asks ‘Who is Aaron Judge’ about TIME honor?
- Judge was previously named TIME’s “Athlete of the Year” on December 6th
- Since then, Argentina has won the World Cup, led by national hero Lionel Messi
- Clarin’s sports editors published a column accusing TIME of snubbing Messi
- Baseball is popular in Venezuela and Colombia but not in the rest of South America
- Click here for all your latest international sports news from
Who is Aaron Judge?
The question may seem odd to anyone in the baseball-loving universe, which stretches from Japan, Taiwan, and Korea across the Pacific to Canada, the United States, and Latin America.
But while the Yankees’ thug is easily spotted in New York, Tokyo or Havana, his status around the world seems lacking, according to a recent comment by a leading Argentine news outlet.
Clarin sports editors published a column this week scolding TIME Magazine for choosing Judge as Athlete of the Year for Argentinian soccer phenom and world champion Lionel Messi.
Clarin sports editors ran a column this week scolding TIME Magazine for picking Aaron Judge (right) ‘Athlete of the Year’ on Argentinian soccer phenom and world champion Lionel Messi (left).
opinion poll
Who should have won TIME’s “Athlete of the Year”?
- Aaron Richter 0 votes
- Lionel Messi 2 votes
‘[Messi] completed an unforgettable season to be recognized by the rest of the world as the best athlete of the year,” reads a translated version of the article.
The unnamed author admits Time’s decision was announced on December 6, before Messi and Argentina beat France in a thrilling World Cup final 12 days later.
The remainder of the article focuses primarily on Judge, who is described as “a baseball star who was voted ‘Sportsman of the Year’ in the United States over world champion Lionel Messi”.
The author’s confusion is, to a certain extent, understandable. Judge may have hit 62 home runs this year, beating Roger Maris’ team and American League record of 61, but baseball is a curiosity across much of the continent.
Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees addresses the media during a news conference at Yankee Stadium December 21
Baseball’s forays into South America effectively end with Caribbean Venezuela, a country that produced Miguel Cabrera, Johan Santana, Luis Aparicio and Andrés Galarraga. Neighboring Colombia can claim its share of the likes of Orlando Cabrera and Édgar Rentería, but it’s safe to say that the rest of the continent is heavily football-focused, and Argentina is no exception.
The author compares Judge and Messi’s current deals head-on, noting that it’s the soccer star who’s getting paid more, despite the slugger’s new $360m nine-year deal in the Bronx.
“The biggest deal ever, however, belongs to Lionel Messi when he signed a four-year, $674m deal with Barcelona,” reads the translated version of the article.
Messi’s incredible 2022 is hardly diminished by Time’s fondness for Judge, but while he may not hold grudges, Argentina’s media remain proud supporters of their national hero.
A person walks in front of a mural of Lionel Messi by artist Maximiliano Bagnasco with the World Cup trophy after Argentina’s triumph at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in the Palermo district of the city of Buenos Aires