Aaron Boone believes he’s managing a “very hungry” New York Yankees ballclub after the last few years of postseason disappointment.
The New York Yankees are trying to climb the mountain and win a World Series for the first time since 2009. Manager Aaron Boone believes the team’s American League Championship loss in 2019 is going to give the Yankees an “extra edge” heading into 2020.
Aaron Boone: the disappointing end to the 2019 season gives the #Yankees an "extra edge" going into 2020. pic.twitter.com/MJvijt56Lz
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) January 6, 2020
“I think it definitely sharpens everyone’s focus and everyone’s hunger,” Boone said on SiriusXM’s MLB Network Radio.”I feel like we have a very hungry group. And this is a team now—obviously even going back to the year before I got here—that’s really come pretty close and been knocking on the door and certainly been one of those teams that we feel like could be a championship team.
“So we understand how close we are and we’ve obviously dealt with success and the pain of not finishing it off and not breaking through,” Boone added. “I do think that hopefully you don’t need too much of a push when you’re a major league athlete but I think when you do get close and you come up short it does give you a little extra edge hopefully going into the offseason that we benefit from.”
The Yankees have lost to the Houston Astros in the ALCS twice in the last three seasons. Sandwiched in between those ALCS losses was a four-game drubbing at the hands of the Boston Red Sox in the 2018 ALDS.
New York has been eliminated by its two biggest rivals in each of the last three seasons. That should be enough motivation to give the Yankees that “extra edge” Boone mentions.
Oh, and adding an ace like Gerrit Cole can’t hurt either.
