On the Job Training
The first was when he failed to have a pitcher ready to start an inning, an awkward and well-storied mistake.
Complicating the matter, Aaron was to start his regular fifth-inning interview with YES at the same time. He took a moment to coordinate the recovery before finally going on air. Apparently, the first question asked was about his blunder.
Unflustered, Boonie smiled his way through with an off-hand mumble before ending the line of questioning good-naturedly.
If he were more thin-skinned or anxious to avoid blame, he could have declared he gave the correct instructions but somewhere they got garbled, like a dangerous game of telephone. Instead, he took the responsibility with a smile and moved to keep the rest in-house.
Good instincts, those.
The same type of insight was gained when Boone addressed a recent gaffe by fellow Aaron, Judge.
Judge was seemingly not aware that MLB’s sensitivity to tampering extends to the players; it does. So when he told Manny Machado he would look good in pinstripes, he committed a baseball faux pas. And The MLB let him know it.
But it is Boone’s immediate reaction that we are interested in, as reported by Mike Mazzeo for the Daily News:
"Aaron Boone was asked about the exchange. “I don’t think he said that,” the manager replied. “I’ll leave that one alone.”"
Aaron understood the ramifications immediately and put forth the best defense, obfuscation, for both he and his player. Again, an amiable and intelligent response.
Finally, it was his announcement about Jordan Montgomery that revealed something about the man. I’m not sure what, but something.