There are plenty of ways to get a reaction out of a Major League Baseball clubhouse. Apparently, walking into the Yankees’ facility and messing with Aaron Judge’s head is one of them.
Magician and content creator Shlomo Levinger finally got an opportunity he had been chasing for years: performing for the New York Yankees.
And he didn’t waste it.
Levinger, who grew up a Yankees fan, traveled to Tampa to put on a private show for the team. He admitted beforehand that the opportunity was surreal and that people had constantly asked him when he was finally going to perform for the Yankees.
Once the show started, though, the nerves disappeared.
Aaron Judge Gets the Full Magic Treatment
The biggest moment came when Levinger called up Yankees captain Aaron Judge and decided to mix magic with a little Yankees wishful thinking.
The scenario?
Game 7 of the World Series. Bottom of the 9th. Judge at the plate with a chance to win the whole thing.
Levinger asked Judge to picture the home run in his mind, including exactly where it would land and how far it would travel.
Judge picked 431 feet and Monument Park.
That’s when things got weird.
Levinger had Judge open a wrapped gift that had been sitting nearby. Inside was a fake newspaper from the future announcing that the Yankees had won their 28th World Series championship on a Judge walk-off homer.
The distance listed?
431 feet.
The location?
Monument Park.
Yeah, good luck explaining that one.
Judge even selected Edwin Diaz as the pitcher in his imaginary World Series moment, adding another layer to the trick that Levinger had apparently already prepared.
Jazz Chisholm Couldn’t Believe It Either
Jazz Chisholm Jr. got his own dose of Levinger’s mind-reading routine and looked completely thrown off by it.
At one point, Jazz was asked to think of the first name of somebody personal to him. Levinger worked through the thought process before stunning him with the result.
Jazz’s reaction basically told the entire story.
He couldn’t understand how Levinger was doing any of it and called the performance incredibly impressive.
That’s what makes the video fun. It isn’t some overly produced baseball promo where everybody knows exactly what is coming next. You can see the players genuinely trying to figure out where the trick is going.
Even Brian Cashman Was Impressed
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman eventually joined the fun after hearing the commotion from nearby.
When Levinger asked for his reaction, Cashman described the Yankees as being in basically a state of shock and awe and gave Levinger a strong endorsement.
For Levinger, the entire visit clearly meant more than another YouTube video.
He has performed around professional sports before, but getting inside the Yankees clubhouse was personal. He grew up rooting for this team, dreamed about eventually performing for them and finally got the chance.
And if that 431-foot Judge prediction somehow becomes reality?
Forget magic.
We’re going to need Shlomo to start giving us the Powerball numbers.
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