NEW YORK -- When so many stepped forward to help Aaron Judge, Matt Holliday stayed back.
Holliday became a fast friend and mentor to Judge in spring training. Their similarities were obvious. They're both power hitters with leg kicks who carried with them huge expectations into their professional careers.
But as Judge's hot first half faded ice cold, Holliday didn't want to add to the cacophony of voices in the Yankees rookie's head. Rather, the 37-year-old said while he was on the disabled list for a month he kept his communication with Judge to a minimum, and when they talked, it wasn't so much about baseball.