NY radio legend rips Yankees' decision to keep Aaron Boone instead of taking gamble

Radio legend Chris “Mad Dog” Russo (MLB Network, ESPN) delighted Aaron Boone critics on Monday by exploding into a passionate tirade against the New York Yankees manager and the front office that employs him.

During a new episode of “The Show” podcast, Russo was asked to rank Boone among Major League Baseball managers, and thus began the onslaught.

"Mad Dog" Chris Russo doesn't hold back against Yankees, Aaron Boone

“He's not better than (Alex) Cora,” Russo said of Boone. "He's not better than (Bruce) Bochy. He's not better than (Terry) Francona. He's not better than Dave Roberts. He's not better than Torey Lovullo. He's not better than AJ Hinch. … He's probably not better than (Craig) Counsell.”

“How do the Yankees have a manager who's the eighth-best?” Russo continued. “He is barely in the top 10. These are the New York Yankees!”

Russo then lamented that the Yankees didn’t go after Francona, who signed a three-year deal with the Cincinnati Reds last October after stepping away from baseball a year prior. 

“Francona gets a job again,” Russo said. “You’re telling me that Boone is a better manager than Terry Francona? Are you freaking crazy? How did Francona end up with the Reds? Did the Yankees put a call in?”

“Everybody loves Boone, and he’s not a bad manager. But he’s been there a long time with one World Series (game) win, and in my opinion, seven or eight managers in this sport are better than he is.”

Hired by the Yankees in 2017, Boone, 52, has gone 667-485 (.579) in the regular season, placing him No. 8 among all-time Yankees managers in winning percentage. Boone’s postseason resumé in New York leaves something to be desired, though, especially given the Yankees’ history. Boone has a 22-23 record in the playoffs with one World Series appearance, which was an utter embarrassment.

Boone’s finished in the top five in American League Manager of the Year voting four times, including a second-place finish in 2019. That would normally be an impressive feat, but Yankees fans expect consistent AL pennants — it’s what they’re used to. Boone has delivered just one, and some feel that his time at the helm is running out.

Yankees fans reaching boiling point with manager Aaron Boone

Beyond the sloppy, seemingly avoidable mistakes that the Boone-era Yankees continue to make, Boone has been criticized for downplaying issues with his team in the press. For fans, watching their talented team struggle to meet expectations is painful, but to hear that team’s leader continually deny those struggles in a disingenuous fashion is an even more bitter experience. 

Yankees die-hards, not to mention media members themselves like Russo, have always wanted Boone to be more honest and forthcoming with his answers about what’s happening on the field. Boone might be changing to meet that demand, but ultimately, winning is the only antidote capable of healing his public perception.

After all, you can get away with being whoever you want to be with the media if you're stacking wins. Look at how former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was championed and considered amusing for essentially giving the media absolutely nothing to work with in interviews. Due to his collection of Super Bowl trophies, Belichick’s arguably rude antics were accepted. Without that on-field success, the same behavior would have been branded by the media as completely out of bounds.

Russo speaks for a massive segment of Yankees Nation in his critique of both Boone and the front office that’s loyal to Boone. On the other hand, other prominent media members — like The Athletic’s Jim Bowden — have come out in fierce defense of Boone. "To sit there and blame any of this on the manager is foolish,” Bowden said this week about Boone while appearing on the Foul Territory network.

Boone has his apologists, but even they will be out of ammo if the Yankees fail to make the postseason.