NEW YORK - Aaron Judge has been patrolling right field in Yankee Stadium all season, but as of Monday, court is officially in session in Section 104.
When the Yankees returned home from a six-game road trip on Monday, fans filing in for that night's game found the back three rows in that section walled off into The Judge's Chambers, a Judge-themed attraction complete with faux-wood paneling to create the illusion of a jury box.
There are 18 seats in those three rows - enough for 12 (hopefully not) Angry Men and a few alternates - but as with Jury Duty, you can't just show up in the Chambers; the Yankees will choose specific fans to sit in those seats every game, and even outfit them with the wardrobe of a courtroom judge.
"The fans are into it," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said prior to Tuesday's game. "I think before we left (for the last road trip) there were a couple of fans dressed up in white wigs and robes, and it's kind of taken on a fun vibe for the fans in right field. We're just trying to make the experience better."
It's just another part of the wave that is Judge-a-mania, which of course has only magnified as the rookie has gotten out to a hot start that, as of Tuesday, sees him leading the AL with 15 home runs and ranking in the Top 5 in several other categories.
Judge has never been one to talk about himself over the team, but even he had to admit that it's kind of cool to see the new section.
"I'm just glad the fans are happy. I'm always going to have fun and enjoy myself at the ballpark, so if it's fun for the fans, let's keep it going," Judge smiled.
To be fair, though, this wasn't something that was sprung on Judge, as he actually knew about it before the world at large found out Monday afternoon.
"They just brought it up to me and said we'll see what happens," Judge had told MLB.com's Bryan Hoch after Monday's game, "and I think it turned out great. It's pretty unreal, and I never thought this would happen so soon, but the fans like it, so I'm glad they're having fun."
Judge already acknowledges the fans one section over from his new Chambers during roll call, and now, he has some extra love to send out to his mock jury as well.
"I do the gavel thing, a couple of pounds on the mitt, for roll call," he said, "but now I give them (the fans in the Chambers) a little point when I'm done warming up, too; nothing too big."
As you might expect, though, even with the latest craze surrounding Judge, Girardi isn't worried that it will affect the rookie's psyche in any way.
"When so much success comes a player's way so quickly, you worry about the demands on their time and people pulling on them, but he's a really grounded young man," Girardi said. "You think that he's going to stay grounded, and that's the important thing."