Yankees fan intercepts Aaron Judge gift and steals ball from child

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 24: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees watches the ball go over the wall as Rougned Odor #12 of the Baltimore Orioles hits a three run home run against Michael King #34 of the New York Yankees in the seventh inning during their game at Yankee Stadium on May 24, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 24: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees watches the ball go over the wall as Rougned Odor #12 of the Baltimore Orioles hits a three run home run against Michael King #34 of the New York Yankees in the seventh inning during their game at Yankee Stadium on May 24, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
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With tensions running high in the late innings of a 5-5 game, Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge caused a brief delay trying to make sure an errant ball reached its intended target in the stands. Judge, with a propensity for good deeds, simply couldn’t leave it rolling, and took expert care to make sure a young man in full Yankee gear was the recipient of his gift.

You’re not going to believe this, but someone with selfish intentions in the stands managed to intercept the adorable moment, nearly undercutting the karmic Yankees reset to come courtesy of Jose Trevino.

While Clay Holmes was effortlessly carving through the Orioles on an exceptionally low pitch count, there was far more drama going on beyond the boundaries.

In a widely-reshared clip that aired on the YES Network broadcast, Judge can be seen pinpointing a child and placing the ball in his glove — as explicit as intentions can get — only for a bare hand to sneak in and swipe the baseball.

If ONLY the offender hadn’t ALSO been wearing a Yankees shirt as he celebrated.

Red Sox gear would’ve been perfect. As it is, we’re at a loss.

Yankees fan steals Aaron Judge ball from kid (intended target)

It’s almost as if sometimes Yankee fans want to be hated throughout the league and go out of their way to provide fuel for the fire of those who believe it’s a hostile place to watch a baseball game.

Please, we beg of you, do not show this video to Myles Straw. He might run directly from Cleveland and climb up the side wall, too.

Judge’s fan-related blunder on Tuesday served as the exact inverse to an adorable moment he was a part of earlier in the season in Toronto. That situation was much cuter, as a Blue Jays fan handed a Judge home run ball to an adorable young Yankee fan, leading to both parties meeting No. 99 in the dugout the next day.

Instead of getting a chance to meet Judge, the ball-stealer should have to stare down Giancarlo Stanton in a dark hallway.

There’s only one way to settle this.