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New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone once again finds himself under the microscope, but this time it is coming because of a decision he made during the MLB All-Star Game. The American League skipper, after seeing his squad erase a 6-0 deficit and force the first-ever swing-off, assembled a puzzling lineup for what was essentially a mini-home run derby. We now have a better idea as to why he did so.
Boone chose Brent Rooker, Randy Arozarena and Jonathan Aranda for his three hitters, while National League manager Dave Roberts picked Kyle Stowers, Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso. The omissions of Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani confused and disappointed many fans who were hoping to see the two titans square off for the ASG crown. Those who did not skewer the skippers instead roasted MLB as a whole for squandering a golden opportunity to generate more interest in the product.
The problem is, however, the dream matchup everyone wanted was not possible. “For people wondering, many players have left already including a lot of the starters,” ESPN's Jesse Rogers posted on X, adding a little clarity to a frustrating situation. “Left as in on a plane home.”
With the regular season set to resume on Friday, it appears that several top talents decided to maximize the remaining time they have left during the All-Star break. Judge and Ohtani each have babies, so perhaps they wished to enjoy some extra family time after exiting the game Tuesday night. Nevertheless, the idea of bolting well before the action wrapped up will rub some fans the wrong way, especially since the reigning MVPs should have known they could be called upon in a swing-off.
Yankees' Aaron Judge vs. Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani just feels right
Alas, an epic moment does not comes to pass. Schwarber did his best to compensate for their absence, smashing homers on all three of his swings to lift the NL to a memorable win. He received All-Star Game MVP honors for his heroics. Meanwhile, Aaron Boone received a heaping pile of condemnation for his end-of-game management.
Although the 2003 All-Star is obviously off the hook for Judge's absence in the home run derby, it is hard to defend the Jonathan Aranda choice. The Tampa Bay Rays infielder has enjoyed a splendid campaign, but he only has 11 dingers on the year. Regardless of the shortage of big bats in the dugout, he should have been quite low on the totem pole for this particular exercise. Aranda just missed out on what would have been the tying HR and ultimately came up empty-handed.
Boone will be able to sleep this one off, though. While there are many bettors who are cursing him out, his focus has probably already shifted to the second half of the Yankees' season. MLB will kick itself, however. Despite the exciting conclusion to the All-Star festivities in Atlanta's Truist Park, baseball could have generated even more headlines if its two most recognizable superstars were front and center in this inaugural swing-off.
Perhaps Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani would have more incentive to stick around if there were higher stakes. Using the Midsummer Classic to determine home-field advantage was a polarizing decision, but if MLB made modifications — playing position players for longer than just a couple of innings and not forcing everyone into the game — maybe the stipulation could make a successful return in the future.
Otherwise, there is a good chance big names will once again be missing during a tiebreaker for what is currently a mere exhibition matchup.
