yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner has not yet discussed Aaron Boone‘s job status in the front office, according to people familiar with the matter, so all you hear about the manager’s future is speculation.
But it’s informed speculation. Even some of Boone’s good friends in the sport acknowledge that the pressure on him this postseason is greater than ever. The Yankees have a club option on Boone for next year. They should have expanded it last winter to avoid another exhausting year of this conversation. But they didn’t, and now there’s a feeling in the air around this team that they need to win this series at a minimum for the Yankees to take that option.
Like Boone’s baseball and his human management acumen Alex Verdugo As demonstrated last month, his skills would be difficult to replace. This would have been true no matter how the first game of the American League Division Series went, but the fact that Verdugo scored a 6-5 victory over Kansas City with a diving catch and a huge RBI double underscored the manager’s prowess.
A member of the Yankees recently reflected that both Verdugo and Marcos Stromman have clashed with management elsewhere, and that this month, both remained stalwart members of the team after difficult conversations with Boone.
That person ran into Boone immediately after the manager told Stroman last month that he was out of the rotation; Boone seemed shocked because he felt bad about it, but said Stroman handled it like a pro. Not every manager or coach has gotten that kind of response from Stroman in the past.
The same happens with Verdugo, for juan sotofor Carlos Rodón. The Yankees went with a set of unique personalities because they knew Boone could create a culture that brought out the best in them.
“If you really want to have a real conversation with him, he’ll do it for you,” Verdugo said of Boone. “If you have something you want to address or, you know, stop beating around the bush and go straight to the source, he’ll always have that conversation with you, to talk to you and let you know what’s behind those decisions.”
Few of Boone’s detractors would doubt his human touch, but you only have to turn on the radio or go online to see that he is not tough enough or lacks insight.
The evidence suggests otherwise. While the world bayed for the talented Dominguez to take over in left field, Boone saw a defender who gave the team a better chance to win in October.
That was the easy part; almost anyone could see that. But he and the hitting coaches also noticed subtle improvements in Verdugo’s swing starting in early September, which they believed suggested greater postseason production capacity.
The culture that Boone and the captain Aaron judge built helped Verdugo feel supported and recommit to his craft. He hired a personal chef to improve his nutrition and made sure he was prepared for any opportunity that came his way.
“This team really cares about me,” Verdugo said. “They support me. I appreciate it very much and it is a great help.”
It’s not all Kumbaya with Boone’s Yankees, nor should it be. In the ninth inning of Game 1, the manager accidentally gave a public glimpse into the temper he almost always reserves for the clubhouse and his office.
pitching coach Matt Blakewhom Boone greatly respects, barked at home plate umpire Adam Hamari about balls and strikes.
“Hey!” Boone shouted, pointing at Blake from the bench. “Enough!”
That night, the yin and yang of the nervous yet empathetic attitude that defines Boone’s Yankees was on full display.
If the team falls in this round or the next, and the front office (which, by the way, still strongly supports him) is interviewing new candidates for the position, it will be difficult to find another leader who strikes that balance. .
