TRENTON- If any of the current Trenton Thunder need hope on a future path to the big leagues, they can just take a look at three current New York Yankees players that have already made a name for themselves. Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Tyler Austin have all been on the Thunder roster at some point since the beginning...
TRENTON- If any of the current Trenton Thunder need hope on a future path to the big leagues, they can just take a look at three current New York Yankees players that have already made a name for themselves.
Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Tyler Austin have all been on the Thunder roster at some point since the beginning of the 2015 season. Austin started this year at Trenton, before he was called up to Scranton Wilkes-Barre in June.
Though a lot of hard work, all three have made it to the majors. But what Judge and Austin did in New York today, in their first game at the big league level, will be the stuff of legend.
In the first inning of the Yankees 8-4 win over Tampa Bay, Austin and Judge, each in their first career at-bat, hit home runs. It was the first time in major league history that players went back-to-back in their first career at-bats.
The home runs set off celebrations in the Thunder clubhouse, before the game with New Hampshire, and on social media. But it also showed the current roster that, even if you struggle for a year or more with injuries, or any manor of performance-related issue, you can still make it to the show.
WATCH: Yankees' rookie Tyler Austin homers in 1st big league at-bat
"You have to always pull for a guy like that (Austin), especially playing with him early in the year," Tyler Wade said. "That is just one of our team mates, and it just shows how close we actually are. It is awesome to see guys like that produce at the major league level, and it just makes us all the more excited."
Austin, who was taken off the Yankees 40-man roster at the end of last year and designated for assignment, returned to the Thunder on September 9, 2015. He started with the Thunder, before making the jump to Triple A on June 4. He went up to Scranton and tore the cover off the ball, to the tune of .323, 13 home runs and 49 RBI. That two-month run set the stage for Austin to replace Alex Rodriguez on the Yankees roster.
"That just shows how hard of a worker Tyler is, and it really paid off this year," Wade said. "Like I said, I am really excited for him. Every guy in this clubhouse has the potential to play in the big leagues. It just goes to show that we have really good talent in the minor leagues, that can help the team win at the big league level."
Wade took what he saw from the two ex-Thunder players and had a little of his own lead-off magic Saturday night. He took the fourth pitch he saw in the bottom of the first and went deep, to give Trenton an early lead.
WATCH: Yankees' Aaron Judge destroys 1st career homer in 1st at-bat
Thunder manager Bobby Mitchell was just as happy for Austin.
"Oh man, we were so excited for him," Mitchell said. "He and Judgy, it was just really gratifying to see those guys go up, and do what they did today. It was the first time ever."
"When Tyler came up, we were watching in here (Mitchell's office)," Mitchell said. "It is funny, because over in the other room there, they were ahead of us (on the tv.) And we heard cheering, so we said, "He must have gotten a hit.'
"Then, whack, he hits a homer," Mitchell said. "And then, the whole room went crazy. Everybody was really happy with what they did. Hopefully, they are there to stay, and to help the team win."
Mitchell hopes that the guys in the clubhouse mimic Wade's thinking, that any one of the 25 players on the Trenton roster can make the show.
"Yeah, you hope so," Mitchell said. "It is a big indication that they are not (that far away.) Austin was here, and spends a month and a half here, and now he is in the big leagues. Especially with him and Judge going up, along with Gary, there is a pretty good youth movement going on right now."
"He stayed with it, and I am sure he stayed with it now," Mitchell said. "He has done a great job with it. It is fun to see. We were all jumping up and down in the room, just so happy for him. Especially a guy who was on the roster, taken off the roster, sent out."
"He could have started to feel sorry for himself," Mitchell said. "But he didn't. So that is why it is great to see him back."
Contact Sean Miller at seanmillertrentontimes@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheProdigalSean