Yankees pick Boone as manager
The New York Yankees have chosen ESPN broadcaster Aaron Boone to succeed Joe Girardi as manager, a source said Friday night.
Now 44, Boone has never been a manager or even a coach at any level since retiring as a player after the 2009 season. His 11th-inning home run off Boston’s Tim Wakefield won Game 7 of the AL Championship Series for the Yankees against Boston.
Boone’s grandfather, Ray, was a two-time all-star infielder from 1948’60. His father, Bob, was a four-time all-star catcher from 1972-’90, then managed Kansas City from 1995-’97 and Cincinnati from 2001-’03.
Aaron Boone was a big league third baseman from 1997-2009 and an all-star in 2003.
Drug test total increases: Major League Baseball boosted its drug test total 25% in the year ending with the World Series.
The sport’s new Independent Public Administrator said there were 10,237 tests of players on 40-man major league rosters, including 8,235 urine samples for performance-enhancing substances, stimulants and the drug DHEA and 2,002 blood samples for human growth hormone.
That was up from 8,281 tests over the previous year, which included 6,634 urine samples and 1,647 blood samples.
Two major leaguers had positive tests for banned stimulants, one each for Adderall and D-Amphetamine. The players were not identified because of the penalty for first offenses for stimulants and the drug DHEA is six additional urine tests over the next year rather than a suspension.
Holland, Moustakas honored: Colorado closer Greg Holland was voted NL Comeback Player of the Year and Kansas City third baseman Mike Moustakas was selected AL Comeback Player of the Year.
After missing the 2016 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Holland was 3-2 with a 3.61 ERA and 41 saves. The 32-year-old right-hander tied with Kenley Jansen of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the second-most saves in the major leagues, six behind Tampa Bay’s Alex Colome.
Moustakas hit .272 with a careerhigh 38 homers and 85 RBI in his return from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The seasonending surgery happened when he collided with Alex Gordon chasing a foul pop-up on May 22, 2016.