The Yankees won again on sheer talent as we watched manager Aaron Boone blow bubbles with his chewing gum. His lack of management experience and complacency is still showing.
Friday night was not the first time we saw Yankees manager, Aaron Boone’s complacency. During a recent game vs. the Blue Jays in the Bronx, with his club ahead 5-1 in the eighth inning, Tyler Austin came up with an infield hit but was called out at first.
The replay clearly showed Jays’ first baseman, Justin Smoak ‘s foot at least six inches off the bag when he caught the throw. The Yanks rightfully challenged first base umpire Ted Barrett’s decision, that Austin should have been called safe.
After the call was absurdly upheld by replay officials in New York, Boone just shrugged his shoulders and continued blowing bubbles. He should have been out on the field screaming at the umpires and getting ejected. He should have stood up for Tyler Austin.
Complacency by a manager leads to mediocrity in his team
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Experienced managers know that they must fight, even losing battles, with the umps to protect their players from bad calls. The Yankees’ players need to know their manager has their back. It injects fire into a club and shows up on the field. If the manager doesn’t care, then why should the players?
In the sixth inning of Friday night’s close contest with the Angels, the score was tied at one with Didi Gregorius at third base and Giancarlo Stanton on second. Neil Walker was at the plate and seemingly hit a three-run homer, but was robbed by the Angels’ outstanding right fielder, Kole Calhoun.
We all saw both runners tag up, allowing Gregorius to score the go-ahead run. However, the umpire ruled that Stanton left the bag early, and therefore was doubled off of second base.
As Brian Hoch of MLB.com reported:
"MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDConfusion on the basepaths: Boone said he erred by not signaling for a “boundary play” on the sequence that ended the top of the sixth, when Walker’s drive was brought back by Calhoun. Had Boone done so, all aspects of the play would have been reviewed, including Stanton’s tag-up at second base.Boone explained that he was waiting for clarification that Gregorius’ run had scored, then he was told he had run out of time to issue a challenge on Stanton making the third out.“I shouldn’t have waited for the challenge,” Boone said. “It’s a boundary call. If I would have been ahead of it and said, ‘Boundary,’ then they look at everything in that context.”"
How can that happen, fellow fans? That play could have cost the Yankees the game.
The Yankees are currently winning on the overabundance of sheer talent on their roster, and they are doing it despite their manager’s lack of leadership and inexperience.
Yes, their “Death Valley” lineup eventually caught up with the Angels’ pitchers in the form of a Sir Didi Gregorius home run in the top of the 10th inning. And that, after tying the game in the top of the ninth on a sac fly by Brett Gardner, scoring Miguel Andujar, after his second extra-base hit of the game.
But counting on late-inning heroics night after night eventually leads disappointment.
Next: Where does Brandon Drury fit in when he returns?
Aaron Boone has already blown games while blowing bubbles this year. Bad decisions due to his zero seasons of managerial experience were the reason. Soon we will be able to add complacency as another. If only Aaron Boone could manage like he blows bubbles.