Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Boone knows he’s a rookie who has to prove himself
NEW YORK » Aaron Boone was pulling into the driveway of his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, last Thursday, bringing 8-year-old daughter Bella home from school so his wife could drive her to a dance lesson, and he noticed a missed call from Brian Cashman.
Boone called back the New York Yankees general manager as his wife looked on and said Cashman told him: “Hey, just first and foremost, I want to make sure you’re completely on board and understanding the commitment level that is now expected of you.”
“If that’s the case,” Boone recalled Cashman saying, “I’m going to recommend to ownership that you’re the guy we move forward and focus on.”
And with that, at age 44 Boone had secured his first manager or coaching job of any kind since his retirement as a player eight years ago.
Boone was introduced Wednesday as New York’s manager during a news conference at Yankee Stadium, where televisions throughout the ballpark showed images of him rounding the bases in triumph after his 11th-inning home run off Boston’s Tim Wakefield won Game 7 of the 2003 AL Championship Series for the Yankees.
“It’s certainly something that I’m known for in my baseball life, obviously, and in some way probably is a contributor to me being here today,” he said.
Among six candidates for the job, Boone so impressed Cashman and his staff that no second round of interviews was needed.
“The interview process is to try to determine how Aaron ticks and if he an extension of our philosophies or pretty close to an extension of our philosophies and what kind of decision-making process he would gravitate to,” Cashman said. “That doesn’t mean there won’t be some growing pains on the beginning end, and we’re OK with that.”
Cashman recommended Boone after consulting with a smorgasbord of his modern-day front office: assistant GMs Jean Afterman and Mike Fishman, vice president of baseball operations Tim Naehring, senior director of player development Kevin Reese, assistant director of professional scouting Dan Giese, director of quantitative analysis David Grabiner, director of mental conditioning Chad Bohling, head athletic trainer Steve Donohue and vice president of communications Jason Zillo.
“There was a difference of opinion among the participants as to who their number two- or threechoice was, but there was little-to-no difference of opinion as to who their number-one choice was,” Steinbrenner said. “It wasn’t even close.”
Cashman thought back to when he was assistant GM and owner George Steinbrenner promoted him to succeed Bob Watson as GM.
“He took a chance on me back in 1998, and here I am 20 years later,” Cashman said.
Boone became the first manager hired by the Yankees since they moved into their new ballpark in 2009 and since George Steinbrenner died the following year.
Hal Steinbrenner, son of The Boss, spoke briefly with Boone outside Donohue’s office when Boone interviewed on Nov. 17. Steinbrenner originally had said he and his siblings would meet with candidates who reached a second round.
“When I get that kind of recommendation from my top people, I just didn’t see the need,” he said. SAN FRANCISCO » Giants general manager Bobby Evans confirmed on San Francisco’s flagship radio station KNBR that the club has reached the parameters of a potential trade for Miami slugger Giancarlo Stanton.
Evans said Giants executives gathered with the NL MVP and his representatives in “a good meeting” last week.
“The specifics of the deal are not something that we feel comfortable discussing, but ultimately our hope is that if he does choose to come here, we’ll be able to fold him in with a winning club,” Evans said Wednesday. “In terms of our deal it just has a number of contingencies, one of course that’s paramount is relative to his full no trade and that’s a decision that really comes from him. But our terms with the Marlins are clear.”
Marlins CEO Derek Jeter said Tuesday that Miami has not decided whether to trade Stanton, still owed $295 million over the final decade of his record $325 million, 13-year contract. When asked specifically about absorbing the majority of that contract, Evans didn’t address it.
Stanton is due to make $25 million in 2018 after he led the majors with 59 home runs and 132 RBIs this season. ARLINGTON, TEXAS » The Texas Rangers completed a Minor deal Wednesday while waiting for Shoehi Ohtani to decide where he wants to play.
A day after meeting in Los Angeles with the Japanese pitcher and outfielder, Rangers officials were back home in Texas to introduce left-hander Mike Minor after finalizing a $28 million, three-year contract.
General manager Jon Daniels described Minor as a primary target in the team’s offseason pursuit to replenish and bolster its pitching staff.
“He’s somebody that we’ve liked back in his amateur days . ... Gets to the big leagues, promising starter, had a hiccup and then dominant last year again,” Daniels said of Minor, a standout reliever for Kansas City last season.