My ties to the Yankees after Derek Jeter retired seemed to be gone. But, as they always do, New York has Aaron Judge to lead the team into the next generation.

Growing up I have always followed the Yankees. My earliest baseball memories include watching them win the World Series in 1996 over the Braves, and I never wavered on my fandom for the most evil team in baseball.

There was Derek Jeter, Mariano Riveria, Paul O'Neill, Jorge Posada, Tino Martinez, and Bernie Williams to just name a few. Prior to that generation, and even in the lull of the 80s, the Yankees still had stars such as Dave Winfield and Don Mattingly while being managed by the likes of guys like Billy Martin, Yogi Berra, Lou Piniella, and Buck Showalter.

You can keep going back in time and the history continues to show. Babe Ruth (1920-1934), Lou Gehrig (1923-1939), Joe DiMaggio (1936-1942, 1946-1951), Phil Rizzuto (1946-1956), Berra (1946-1963), Mickey Mantle (1951-1968)...I could keep going but consider some of the guys I listed above also and there has always been players that defined a generation of the Yankees and kept fans interested.

So why did I doubt that the road would come to an end after Jeter retired? For the first time in years, I cancelled my MLB.TV package. I was more-so watching the Twins than Yankees (we talk a lot of Twins). I didn't turn in my Yankees fan-card, but I didn't have that same feeling.

Until it returned this year. This kid Aaron Judge could be on the verge of being the next guy.

I realize it's early in his career to be saying stuff like that. I realize I am writing a post that has mentioned the greatest of great Yankees and threw in this guy even in the same post.

But there is something very special. Time will tell on how far it will go. Judge has sparked the interest in the Yankees again. The 25-year old has captivated Major League Baseball and is pretty much the face of the Yankees as they stand today.

How can you not cheer for this guy who hits home runs out of ballparks?

As of now, he is the man leading the Yankees into the next generation for the Yankees and even possibly for Major League Baseball. Hoping that continues to be the case.

And that's all that I need to continue to cheer on the evil empire.

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