Boone controls his own fate as Yankees manager
Boone is in the option year of his contract, but he could gain an extension if the New York Yankees play up to their potential in 2020. Everyone was caught surprised by his hire as it was such an out-of-the-box move. Boone had no managerial or coaching experience, yet still given the keys to the sport’s most-cherished franchise.
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Give credit where credit is due as Boone has won at least 100 games in each of his first two seasons at the helm in the Bronx. It was a travesty that he didn’t win the American League Manager of the Year award last season. Boone led the Yankees to their first AL East division title since 2012 despite the constant influx of the roster.
2019 will be best remembered for the number of injuries (39 players on the injury list) sustained by the Yankees. At times, it was downright comical. Boone did a terrific job of keeping the boat afloat by inserting the call-ups into the lineup and getting the most out of their ability. He instilled a philosophy in the locker room that it didn’t matter how big or small the contribution was because collectively, it earned another victory in the win column for the Yankees.
Boone’s critics will argue that he’s nothing more than a figurehead in the dugout for New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and his analytical team. It’s believed they have heavy input in how the Yankees lineup looks each day. Here is where the problem lies for Boone as the Yankees are built to win right now. He cannot afford to have the team get off to a bad start and have speculation begin on how the players aren’t playing to their potential.
The odds are low that Boone will be looking for work elsewhere after the 2020 season. Mainly because the Steinbrenner in charge trust his front office is making all the right decisions. The passion to win is the same, but any consideration of a managerial change is thoroughly thought out rather than making a knee-jerk reaction to a tough loss.