Anthony Rizzo opens up on the Aaron Boone most Yankees fans never see

Anthony Rizzo spoke with Yanks Go Yard during the MLB Playoffs on behalf of PAYDAY's Low Key Legends initiative, an effort to recognize the often-overlooked contributors who help make the game possible.

With Aaron Boone discourse hitting another fever pitch as the Yankees careen towards an early playoff exit, Anthony Rizzo picked the perfect time to break down the method behind the madness a bit, and detail the way the relationship worked best behind the scenes. He also bashed the Red Sox's hidden leadership crisis this week, which ... thank you, sincerely.

It's wild we're here again - after Boone's best season in years navigating myriad injuries, and after he outmaneuvered Chad Tracy in the Wild Card Series - but we're here. And Rizzo's admiration of his manager could help explain - as well as the uncertainty of the lockout - why he's likely to stick around through the end of his contract, at the very least.

Anthony Rizzo shares a side of Aaron Boone most Yankees fans don't see

When asked what fans outside the locker room wouldn't know or understand about Boone's day-to-day, Rizzo began with a defense of the little things.

"He's very prepared. He knows an idea and understanding of what he wants to do and he executes. His in-game decisions - and I know it's so easy, especially as a Yankee fan or a baseball fan, to nitpick everything he does, but there are reasons behind every one of his moves. There's numbers to back it up. Sometimes, he goes off-script and goes off feel," Rizzo noted.

While "being prepared" is certainly the baseline expectation, it couldn't be easier to criticize from an outside perspective, as well as blame Boone for player regressions he cannot control. Knowing his comfort in going off-script helps, too (though your mileage may vary for believing he has a workable gut).

Most of all, Rizzo enjoyed the collaborative experience.

"I loved [working with him]. I loved talking to him. I loved asking questions all the time, just understanding what he was thinking," Rizzo told us. "As a player, you want to know what your manager's thinking so you're not caught off guard or talking behind ther back, and he was so open with his moves and his decisions."

The other primary leader in the dugout during Rizzo's years - Aaron Judge - is also a man he has extensive experience alongside. Rizzo told a hilarious story during the Yankees-Red Sox Wild Card broadcast about Judge snapping back, "We're losing" after Rizzo tried to take in the immensity of Fenway Park during the 2021 one-gamer (Rizzo eventually homered, though it was not enough).

So who is Judge, exactly, during moments of rising playoff tensions?

"He's the same. He's the same person at all times," Rizzo emphasized.

"For me, my role on that team, especially with Judge being the Captain and all the pressure that comes with being Player No. 1, is to make sure everyone's loose and having a good time. I was that in Chicago, and had a lot of guys that always kept me loose," Rizzo continued. "He's joking around in-game, but also very focused, he's looking at at-bats and talking situations, like, 'Hey, why do you think he threw that pitch here or did that there? Hey, look for this.' Baserunning stuff. It's all the little things that go into a game that's 95% of the talk in the dugout, but there's always moments where you've got to take it in and have a little bit of humility."

Perhaps that's what Judge really needs? A new running mate who can bust his chops while also remaining collaborative on in-game adjustments and swing decisions. If the Yankees' season ends shortly, it's far more likely that's what the Yankees are seeking, rather than a new manager.

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