There was a significant crowd for the Yankees’ first spring-training session this week, and not one of the fans was in Tampa to see Aaron Boone.
Bringing in a first-year manager for a team with World Series expectations normally would be the predominant storyline. But the Yankees are not a normal team, and Boone’s arrival has been overshadowed by the acquisition of Giancarlo Stanton and his pairing with fellow slugger Aaron Judge.
Adding the reigning National League MVP has pushed the Yankees from contender to American League co-favorite (with the Astros), and if those expectations are not met, Boone will not remain a secondary figure for long.
Boone is going straight from the ESPN booth to the dugout, and longtime YES Network analyst Ken Singleton said there is reason to believe it will be a smooth transition.
“Just running a ballgame is the biggest challenge,” Singleton said of Boone, whose spring-training tenure in the dugout starts Friday afternoon against the Tigers. “And I was impressed with him in the booth because he could see things ahead of time, and that’s what managers have to do over the course of the game. You have to anticipate when to use the right pitcher.
“I am glad the Yankees brought back [pitching coach] Larry Rothschild because he is one of the best in the business. I think that Aaron is going to rely heavily on Larry and Mike Harkey, the bullpen coach. I think handling pitching is the toughest part.”
Singleton’s opinion of the team is a prime example of the expectations the Yankees face. The former slugger compared this team to his Orioles squad that went from just missing the playoffs in 1982 to winning a World Series the following season.
“In my own personal experience through the years, teams that come very close the year before, they are very determined the following season and very tough to deal with,” Singleton said of the Yankees, who lost to the Astros in Game 7 of the ALCS.
“In ’83 we had more injuries and more problems to deal with, but we won the World Series because we were more determined. I think that can apply to the Yankees. When you talk to these guys in the dugout, they all reference that if they don’t win it there’s going to be huge disappointment. They are already pointing toward that, and that’s the way it should be.”
Singleton also sees the similarities between these Yankees and the group Joe Torre inherited in 1996. Much like Torre, who took over for Buck Showalter, Boone will be replacing a successful manager in Joe Girardi. No big deal, Torre just went on to lead the Yankees to four titles in five seasons.
“The Yankees sense they have the type of team now that was like the late ’90s,” Singleton said. “They have a sense they have this kind of ballclub again, and if everything goes right, they can challenge for a title every year.”
Singleton said he believes he already is seeing changes in the way things are being handled as an organization, starting with the decision to keep Goose Gossage out of camp. The Hall of Fame reliever, who is never short on opinions, caused a stir from a distance by verbally attacking general manager Brian Cashman, but the issue largely was kept from Boone.
“I just don’t think the Yankees want any disruptions in this camp, particularly with a new manager on board,” Singelton said. “Perhaps someone like Joe Girardi could have handled it a little bit better because he’s been around a while. With Aaron Boone they want everything to go smoothly.”