Way back in 2003, Aaron Boone hit one of the most famous home runs in MLB history, clubbing a walk-off shot in Game 7 of the ALCS against the Boston Red Sox to send the New York Yankees to the World Series. 20 years later, Aaron effing Boone still has the effing juice 20 years later.
Deep to left! Aaron Boone goes yard on his 50th birthday: pic.twitter.com/Kv75WF4Xqi
ā Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) March 9, 2023
In honor of his 50th birthday, the Yankees current manager and former third baseman took batting practice at Spring Training and sent a baseball straight to hell where it belongs. Look at that swing! He crushed that ball!
Entering his sixth season as the Yankeesā skipper, Boone is on the hot seat after last yearās embarrassing ALCS sweep at the hands of the Houston Astros. While Boone has been an excellent manager in the regular season (his .603 winning percentage is the seventh-best of all managers with over 450 games), his postseason acumen is questionable. Booneās postseason record is a paltry 14-17 and pocked with losses to major rivals such as the Astros and Red Sox.
But while Yankees fans have largely grown ready to move on from the Boone era, batting practice displays like this demonstrate why Boone is so popular inside the clubhouse.
āIf you just look at his record this past five, six years as manager of the Yankees,ā Aaron Judge said to the New York Post in defense of Boone, ānot too many managers in this game have multiple 100-win seasons and done what heās done the last couple of years. You just look at how he talks about this team, how his players react to him. I think he might have been close to leading the league in ejections last year (nine), the last couple of years. He fights for us on a daily basis and heās in our corner through and through, and thatās no better guy you want steering the ship than that.ā