Aarony Booney Lets Analytics Make His Decisions Instead Of What He Is Seeing
Aaron Boone just helped push the Yankees right to the brink of playoff elimination tonight with his over-managerial moves. In game 4 of the ALCS, Boone mysteriously removed starter Masahiro Tanaka after 85 pitches when Tanaka gave up a squiggler that first baseman DJ LeMahieu could not handle.
Aarony Booney said to himself “Hmmm, It’s only the 6th inning. But Maso has allowed four hits and thrown 85 pitches. He’s made one mistake for a three run homer and we’re down three to one in the game. I’ll remove my star pitcher.”
Reliever Chad Green promptly allowed another runner to reach base and then put the nail in the coffin giving up a three run home run to Carlos Correa to put the Astros up 6-1 in a crucial game 4.
Aaroney Booney who cannot string together two sentences without saying “ummm” between every 7 words and “you know “every other sentence and calling every player by their nickname even if it isn’t by adding a “Y” to it, is surely the most unremarkable manager since Bill Virdon, the man who hastened the exit of Yankee star Bobby Murcer in a horrible trade to the Giants straight up for Bobby Bonds.
For anyone who says Boone is a great manager for keeping the Yankees competitive and winning 104 games this season, I say a 12-year-old child could have led the team to a 104 win season.
It is not Aaron Boone and his “brilliant” moves that gave the Yankees such a dominating season. It was GM Brian Cashman and his staff of scouts that were able to find talent when it became available such as Gio Urshela, Cameron Maybin and Mike Tauchman. The Yankee injuries were covered by players not selected by Boone but given to him by the management. The management and the players themselves deserve the credit for the Yankees strong season, not the manager.
Boone has not let what he sees guide him in making pitching moves. He panics when a man gets on base, He yanks pitchers on low pitch counts, He doesn’t let proven stars pitch through tough situations. He inexplicably pulled James Paxton from game 2 a few days ago after just 51 pitches in 2 1/3 innings and allowing – hold on to your hats – one run!
Let me bring in the man who could strike out Babe Ruth all day long Adam Ottavino. Oh there goes a ball off George Springer’s bat far into the stands. Ottavino can’t even look at that one. And Boone is wrong again.
Boone’s utter overconfidence in analytics and “third time through the order” mentality is plain stupid. Try pulling Justin Verlander or Gerrit Cole after 2 1/3 innings and see how they would react. Boone simply believes his bullpen is all he needs to win. That is proving not to be the case ion the 2019 playoffs.
I know Aaron will remain the Yankees manager because everyone seems to love him, but he has to go. He may be a really nice person and a good family man off the field, but oh boy is he a terrible manager.
Yes, key players have not performed during clutch situations. Who is to blame? Aaron Boone.
The fact is, is that Boone has forgotten the fundamentals of baseball. The object of the game is to reach base. The fact that most of the Yankee players continue to swing for the fences when they could easily bunt when the shift is on and reach base is downright criminal. Who would ask Judge, Gregorius or Hicks to bunt? Any manager that realizes that, that is the way to defeat the shift and reach base and score. Stick out your bat when you are five runs down and stop trying to kill the ball.
Analytics? Please. Be real here. Keep getting on base not shooting for home runs and you will score. This is what Boone and most every other manager has forgotten and failed to do- instruct their players and have them carry out basics and how to REALLY win ballgames.
Maybe the Yankees management will look at why they lost in the playoffs two straight years under Aaron Boone.
If they do, wouldn’t it be ironic if analytics were used to get rid of him.
Tip of the hat! I said basically the same thing all season. He clearly has over used the bullpen. Also he clearly can not fire up the offense. If the analytics say he has the tools, but they are not performing, it is his fault.
Boone may be inept, but so are the Yankees hitters during these playoffs. They’re leaving the men on bases left and right. You can’t keep squandering scoring opportunities and expect to win. They also have struck out 13 times through 8 innings in game 4 and 43 times in the 4 games.
You are right they have to stop trying for homers when a homer doesn’t put you ahead or tie the game. Aaron Boone seems to have too little confidence in any of his starters and too much in his relievers.