The Saratogian (Saratoga, NY)

Aaron Boone hiring finalized by Yankees

- By Ronald Blum

» Aaron Boone’s hiring was finalized Monday by the New York Yankees, who gave the ESPN broadcaste­r a three-year contract to succeed Joe Girardi as manager.

New York, which picked Boone over five other candidates last week, scheduled a news conference for Wednesday at Yankee Stadium.

“I firmly believe that Aaron possesses the attributes needed to follow in the tradition of great Yankees managers,” owner Hal Steinbrenn­er said in a statement. “From all accounts, he is a polished communicat­or who possesses the ability to cultivate and grow relationsh­ips. Aaron has also spent a lifetime immersed in baseball, affording him a unique and intimate understand­ing of what fosters team success.”

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 2003 AL Championsh­ip Series for the Yankees against Boston.

“Aaron’s name is already etched into Yankees history,” Steinbrenn­er said. This opportunit­y will allow him to continue to make a positive impact on this organizati­on in distinctly new and meaningful ways.”

Boone was a big league third baseman from 1997-2009 and an All-Star in 2003, when New York acquired him from the Reds at the trade deadline. Boone tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a pickup

pickup basketball game in January 2004 and was released by the Yankees, who claimed he violated a prohibitio­n against basketball in the guarantee language of his contract.

He is part of the first family that produced three generation­s of major leaguers. His grandfathe­r, Ray, was a two-time All-Star infielder from 1948-60. His father, Bob, was a four-time AllStar catcher from 1972-90, then managed Kansas City from 1995-97 and Cincinnati from 2001-03. His brother, Bret, was a three-time AllStar second baseman in a big league career from 1992-05.

He will be part of only the third father-and-son pairing to manage in the major leagues, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. George and Dick Sisler, and Bob and Joel Skinner are the others.

Five days after New York lost to Houston in Game 7 of the AL Championsh­ip Series, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman announced Oct. 26 that Girardi was not being offered a new contract after 10 seasons, the team’s 27th World Series title in 2009 and a 910-710 regular-season record. Cashman later said he was concerned over “ability to fully engage, communicat­e, connect with the playing personnel.”

New York also interviewe­d Yankees bench coach Rob Thomson, former Cleveland and Seattle manager Eric Wedge, San Francisco bench coach Hensley Meulens, Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach Chris Woodward and former Yankees outfielder Carlos Beltran, who retired as a player after winning his first World Series this year with Houston.

“When we had the opportunit­y to speak with Aaron and share concepts and ideas, he was able to showcase a variety of traits that we believe will strongly benefit this franchise as we move forward, including an astute mind for the game and a progressiv­e approach to evolving strategies,” Cashman said in a statement. We also believe Aaron’s interperso­nal skills and baseball pedigree will allow him to blend well with the systems we have in place, our baseball operations staff and the 25-man roster.”

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States