Aaron Boone has been the whipping boy for New York Yankees fans over the past few years. If the Yankees win, it is despite his efforts. If the Yankees lose, it is all Boone’s fault. He just cannot win.
It is time for that perception to change. The Yankees had an 11 game winning streak snapped on Wednesday as they roared out to the best record in baseball thus far. Boone has been pushing all of the right buttons on a team whose flaws have been rendered moot to this point.
New York Yankees should be thankful they kept Aaron Boone
That has been due to his actions. Michael King has become his fireman, slotting in whenever Boone needs key outs. He has found a way to keep Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton healthy going back to 2021, something that cannot be considered a minor feat. He has put his faith in Nestor Cortes, with the former Yankees’ castoff proving to be a solid part of the rotation.
It also goes beyond those players. Boone has been a different person this year, showing much more fire than Yankees’ fans are used to. He has already been ejected twice, tossing aside that mild-mannered persona to fight for his team.
This is exactly what the Yankees need. For years, they were able to have a manager that could sit back and just let the stars perform. The managerial role was essentially that of a caretaker during that run from the mid 1990s through the first part of the 21st century, allowing Joe Torre or Joe Girardi to sit back and relax.
That is not the case any longer. The Yankees need someone to step on the gas when needed, to inject that fire and passion that seems to be lacking at times. Boone has been exactly that. He has gone from the hot seat to lighting the fire under the seats of the Yankees.
Aaron Boone has transformed himself this year. The New York Yankees manager has been everything the team needed thus far in 2022.