Aaron Boone played for the Yankees. He now manages the Yankees. And he is not buying what some of his charges — and maybe his front office? — are apparently selling.
Boone dismissed the idea the Bombers’ enraged fanbase is having a negative impact on the team and could push players out of the Bronx while breaking bread with ESPN Radio New York’s “The Michael Kay Show” on Thursday. Boone’s comments came after a series of reports indicating some Yankees were disturbed by the “external toxicity” following their ALCS loss to the Astros and specifically that slugger Aaron Judge is tired of the local fans and media.
I am aware that has gained some traction and some noise. And look, I think the overwhelming majority of our players, and the feeling in our room, is that this is where you want to be. This is where you want to play. This is the fanbase you want to play in front of.
Does that mean that at times it can be challenging, it can be difficult, there is going to be a guy who goes through a tough period where it is wearing on him? Sure. And I think that’s part of being a major league athlete as well, being a Major League baseball player. And it’s certainly magnified here. So there can be some tough times. But I do feel like the overwhelming sentiment in our clubhouse amongst our guys is, ‘Man, this is where you want to be. This is where you want to do it.’
“From that standpoint, I think that has been very much overblown. Yes, there are some tough scenarios, there are some tough situations that come up over the course of the year. But by and large, our guys love doing it in this environment. We know there is going to be no better ultimate place to win.
There will always be players — cough, Joey Gallo, cough — who just cannot function in New York. That is how it works. And you understand why those guys would blame the environment But if someone like Judge is moved to leave because he got booed during a brutal postseason, that is his issue, not the fans’ or the media’s. As Mike Francesa recently said, Joe DiMaggio got booed too. It’s part of the deal.
The big dynamic here, of course, is whether the Yankees were pushing this narrative as a preemptive spin endeavor if and when Judge bolts in free agency. That Boone hand waved it suggests that may not necessarily be the case.
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James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com
