Boone ‘heartened’ by how MLB handled moving All-Star Game
Aaron Boone was “heartened” by how MLB handled the decision to move the All-Star Game out of Atlanta in reaction to Georgia’s new restrictive voting laws. “As long as it’s legally done, it should be something that’s easy for somebody to go out and vote,” the Yankees manager said before Saturday’s game against the Blue Jays at the Stadium. “It’s one of our fundamental birthrights in this country. So, hopefully it’s a dialogue that continues. Without getting into the politics too much of it, I was at least glad to see the players and Major League Baseball work really together and seem like in sync in this situation.”
The Republican-sponsored bill, which includes restrictions on voting by mail and the state legislature taking greater control over the process, was signed into law by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp last month.
The law will disproportionately affect voters of color, Democrats and voting rights groups have said. It’s one of many such election-related bills introduced across the country in the wake of the false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election.
President Biden called it “Jim Crow in the 21st Century,” and pointed out the bill would even make it illegal to bring water to voters waiting in long lines.
There is precedent for pro leagues moving AllStar games. In 2017, the NBA moved its mid-season showcase out of Charlotte after a bill that limited anti-discrimination protections was enacted in North Carolina.
Boone thinks that the swift-nature of the decision by the league, after the union brought it up as a possibility immediately after the laws were enacted, is a good sign for the sport.
“Obviously, this is a difficult issue. Glad to see the dialog that has clearly existed in this situation between Major League Baseball, the commissioner’s office, the Players Association, the Players Alliance,” Boone said. “The fact that there was swift and a difficult decision ... I am [a] little heartened by that. That there was that level of communication. Obviously voting rights are a pillar in this country.”
That said, Boone was “bummed,” for the city of Atlanta and the baseball fans there.
“Sad for the city of Atlanta, I know anytime you’ve got an All-Star game, it’s something that there’s a lot of planning that goes into that. There’s a lot of expectations, there’s a lot of positive things that happen in the area for that,” Boone said. “So, that part is a bummer.”
VOIT ON THE MEND AND THE CLOCK
After surgery to repair a partially torn meniscus, Luke Voit is already working out on the anti-gravity machines and the exercise bikes. Boone said he expects the 2020 Home Run champ back at some point next month.
“I would expect him back hopefully sometime in May, but we’ll just see how these weeks unfold,” Boone said. “Everything went well in the surgery, I think as expected. He’s feeling good here in the early days, you know, already up on the Alter-G and on the bike and things like that. So, hopefully, if things go smoothly, we’re looking at kind of a four to six week kind of scenario.”
“I know there are no baseball activities for at least three weeks post surgery,” Boone continued. “So then we’ll just see how he builds up from there.”
WILSON READY TO GO
Justin Wilson, who began the season on the injured list with left shoulder tightness, threw to live hitters on Saturday. He will be ready to come off the injured list when eligible next Friday for the first game in Tampa.
“I really liked what I saw, thought [the ball] was coming out really good. So, he’s pretty much ready to go,” Boone said. “Obviously, being on the 10-day he is not eligible, I think, until after the off day going into Tampa. So he’ll have another live BP probably around Tuesday, just to be set up to be ready to go when he’s eligible to come off. But he’s doing really well.”
SEVERINO STEADY, SCHMIDT NOT
Luis Severino continues to ramp up in his rehab from 2020 Tommy John surgery.
“Sevy continues to do well. I think he’s had a couple bullpens now, where he’s thrown fastballs and sliders, which is encouraging,” Boone said. “He’s been bouncing back well from those. So everything’s going according to plan with Luis.”
Severino is expected to return to the Yankees rotation midseason, in June or July.
Clarke Schmidt has not thrown since the first week of pitchers and catchers. He suffered a strained right elbow in his very first bullpen of the spring.
“Clarke Schmidt is still trying to get to that point of [being] completely asymptomatic and I keep saying it’s any day now. And that is the hope where he can start to begin a throwing program again,” Boone said.
The Yankees are not alarmed by the fact that Schmidt has not thrown in five weeks, because the injury does not involve Schmidt’s surgically-repaired ulnar collateral ligament.
“They said all along they wanted him completely asymptomatic. I feel like he’s been close to that point now for a few weeks,” Boone said.