Aaron Boone is not one of the most beloved people in New York. The Yankees manager has often been a polarizing figure during his nearly decade-long stint, but potentially no decision was more widely criticized than the one that involved pulling Gerrit Cole during Game 1 of the World Series last postseason.
Boone made the fateful decision to take the Yankees' ace out after six innings pitched; Cole had allowed just four hits, one run, and no walks as New York held a 2-1 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers down the stretch. But after Cole left the mound, the Dodgers tied the game in the eighth inning, setting the stage for Freddie Freeman's walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning.
The Yankees would go on to lose the series 4-1 despite scoring just one fewer run than the Dodgers over the course of the five games, which only seemed to amplify the criticism Boone received for the Game 1 decision.
But Boone stands by his decision and how he dealt with the backlash publicly.
“After Boone was ripped by Derek Jeter (of all icons) and prominent voices all over Yankeedom, I had reported that Cole told Boone he was gassed, leaving the manager with no choice but to pull him,” The Athletic's Ian O'Connor wrote. “On a night when the Yankees battled for him, and reminded people that Boone is one of only three managers in franchise history to reach the playoffs in at least seven of his first eight seasons in the Bronx (Joe Torre, Casey Stengel), I wanted to ask Boone why he absorbed such a fierce coast-to-coast pounding instead of just telling the truth.
“‘That’s my job,' Boone told The Athletic. ‘My job is not to save face or make myself look good.'”
Boone explained that trying to defend himself by throwing Cole under the proverbial bus would not have been a good example of “leadership” and would be an attempt to “superficially satisfy the masses.”
Boone and the Yankees have quite a bit of work to do to get back to the World Series, including tonight, when New York hosts the Boston Red Sox in a win-or-go-home Game 3. A win would secure another ALDS appearance and a meeting with the AL East champion Toronto Blue Jays.
