Boone clan split on Nationals-Bombers matchup
Money isn’t thicker than blood in the Boone household in Southern California.
While Bob Boone says being employed and paid by the Nationals led him to pull for them Tuesday and Wednesday night when they play at Yankee Stadium against the Yankees, who are managed by his son, Aaron Boone, that feeling wasn’t going to fly with others.
“I know who [the grandkids] will be rooting for and I know who Mom will be rooting,’’ Boone, a vice president for the Nationals, told The Post on Tuesday from the house in San Diego where he planned on watching the game with his son’s sons and mother.
Aaron Boone understands his father’s allegiance for a simple reason.
“They pay him. It’s going to be fun. My boys are with my mom and dad in San Diego,’’ the Yankees’ manager said before Tuesday’s game. “They flew in today. It will be a split household. I know my mom will be pulling for me and my boys will be pulling for me. That’s fine, somebody else in the house will be cheering for me.’’
Bob Boone said he watches all the Yankees’ games, but opted not to affix a grade to his son’s start as a big league manager.
“I watch it every day and he is doing pretty well. I don’t want to put a grade on him but your grade is what your record is,’’ Boone said. His son’s ledger is 43-19, the best in baseball, after Tuesday’s 3-0 win.
It wasn’t out of character for Aaron Judge to be pumped about Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andu- jar being in second place at their respective positions when the early AL All-Star voting results were released on Tuesday.
“That’s awesome,’’ Judge said while pumping a fist at his locker.
Torres, who didn’t reach the big leagues until April 22, is running second to reigning AL MVP Jose Altuve by 421,426 votes at second base. Andujar is second to Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez by 223,543 votes at third base.
“That is awesome, for sure,’’ said Torres, who was hitting .297 with 11 homers and 29 RBIs in 42 games. “It’s good.’’
Andujar, who wasn’t in the lineup Tuesday night so Boone could get Neil Walker a start at third base for the first time since June 1, was pleased with the news.
Gary Sanchez led the catchers and held a 15,311-vote edge over Tampa Bay’s Wilson Ramos. Judge (541,983 votes) was third among outfielders, trailing Boston’s Mookie Betts (748,872) and the Angels’ Mike Trout (639,822). Didi Gregorius was third among shortstops and Giancarlo Stanton second in the DH race.
Former Met Daniel Murphy made his 2018 debut Tuesday, starting at des- ignated hitter for the Nationals. The 33-year-old underwent microfracture right knee surgery in October.
“I didn’t want to come back if I didn’t feel like I was ready,” said Murphy, who tallied a .334/.387/.569 slash line in his first two years with Washington. “I think I’m in a position to help this team win baseball games. And that’s my goal right now.”
The timing of the schedule made this week ideal, as Murphy (0-for-4 with two strikeouts Tuesday) can ease his way back as a DH with the Nats playing two games in The Bronx followed by three games in Toronto.