Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner has not yet been discussed Aaron Boone‘s job status in the front office, according to people in the know, so anything you hear about the manager’s future is speculation.
But it’s informed speculation. Even some of Boone’s close friends in the game 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 extended it last winter to avoid another exhausting year of this conversation. But they didn’t, and now there’s a feeling around this team that it needs to at least win this series before the Yanks can pick up that option.
Such as Boone’s baseball and human insight into dealings Alex Verdugo the past month shows that his skills would be difficult to replace. This would have been true regardless of how the first game of the American League Division Series went, but the fact that Verdugo pulled off a 6-5 victory over Kansas City with a diving catch and a huge RBI double underscored the manager’s value.
A Yankees person recently thought that both Verdugo and Marcus Stroman have clashed with management elsewhere – and that both remained loyal members of the team this month after difficult conversations with Boone.
That person ran into Boone right after the manager told Stroman he was out of the rotation last month; Boone seemed shocked because he had a bad feeling about it, but said Stroman handled it like a professional. Not every manager or coach has provoked this kind of reaction from Stroman in the past.
Ditto for Verdugo, for Juan Sotofor Carlos Rodon. The Yankees gambled on 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 discuss, or you know you shouldn’t beat around the bush and just go straight to the source, he will always have that conversation with you, to talk to you and let you know what lies behind those decisions.”
Few of Boone’s opponents would doubt his human touch, but you only have to turn on the radio and log on to the Internet to see that he is not strong enough, or has no insight.
The evidence suggests otherwise. While the world was clamoring for the talented Dominguez to take over left field, Boone saw a defenseman who gave the team a better chance to win in October.
That was the easy part; almost everyone could see that. But he and the hitting coaches also noticed subtle improvements in Verdugo’s swing starting in early September, which they said indicated greater production potential in the postseason.
The culture that Boone and Captain have Aaron Judge built helped Verdugo feel supported and recommit to his profession. He hired a personal chef to improve his nutrition and made sure he stayed ready for whatever opportunities came his way.
“This team really cares about me,” Verdugo said. “They have my back. I really appreciate it, and it goes a long way.”
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 of the irascible temper he almost always reserves for the clubhouse and his office.
Pitch coach Matt Blakewho Boone highly respects, barked at home plate umpire Adam Hamari about balls and strikes.
“Hi!” Boone shouted, gesturing to Blake on the couch. “Stop it!”
On this night, the yin and yang of sharp but empathetic that defines Boone’s Yankees was on full display.
If the team fails this round or the next, and the front office – which, by the way, still strongly supports him – has to interview new candidates for the job, it will be difficult to find another leader who can strike that balance . .
