The New York Yankees have clawed their way back into contention for the American League East title, but as they prepare for a crucial three-game series in Houston against the Astros, one former player has taken issue with the manager spending the off-day away from the team.
Yankees skipper Aaron Boone was in Chapel Hill on Monday to see the North Carolina Tar Heels open their football season against TCU. Boone's son, Brandon, is a student assistant on Bill Belichick's staff.
Former Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier, who played for Boone from 2018 to 2021, wasn't pleased.
“Biggest two week stretch of the season and this dude is at a football game with his hoodie tied around his waist 😭,” Frazier wrote via X, formerly Twitter, in a quoted post showing Boone at the game.
Though it's unclear why anyone would have a problem with Boone using an off-day to support his son, this isn't the first time Frazier has been critical of his former manager. He's taken shots at the Yankees' lineup decisions, organizational secrecy, and the team allegedly prioritizing egos over performance — all in the last two weeks.
Not that Frazier's complaints aren't fair ones, it's just valuable context to have when you see him calling out the manager for using an off-day to do off-day things.
The Yankees' season may come down to the next 2 weeks
While what Boone should do with his off-days is a fair debate, Frazier's assertion that the Yankees are approaching the biggest two-week stretch of the season is inarguably true.
After playing the Astros, New York comes home to play the Toronto Blue Jays, a team that, as of this writing, is 2.5 games ahead of the Yankees in the AL East. Then it's three games against the Detroit Tigers, who have the best record in the American League, and three more against the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees and Red Sox enter Tuesday in a virtual tie for second, with the Yankees only ahead by percentage points.
To use one of Boone's favorite phrases, it's all right there in front of the Yankees. The problem is, the team hasn't proven it could consistently beat the teams it will need to beat. New York is 76-61 overall but only 17-22 against the AL East and 38-39 against teams with winning records.
The Yankees spent the last week beating up on bad teams, putting them in position to make a push for first place. They just need to prove they can make it count.
