CHOICE WORDS
Thomson: Yanks were ‘fair’ in picking Boone over me
CLEARWATER, Fla. — During 28 years in the Yankees organization, Rob Thomson was known as much for his endless hard work as he was for being honest with players he sought to make better.
So, when he interviewed for the Yankees’ manager job after Joe Girardi wasn’t brought back following 910 wins in 10 years and Thomson didn’t get the job that went to Aaron Boone, he was honest with himself.
“Brian [Cashman] and his staff are very sharp people and they had an idea of what that manager would look like and Booney was a better fit than I was. That is fair,’’ said Thomson, who wasn’t brought back as Boone’s bench coach and landed a three-year deal with the Phillies to be Gabe Kapler’s bench coach.
The letters on the front of Thomson’s jersey read “Phillies’’ now and there will be “P’’ on the hat instead of an NY. His new team is rebuilding and his former club is expected to contend for a World Series title. Yet, the mission remains the same: make the players better.
“That’s what it is all about,’’ said Thomson, who was very popular with the players in The Bronx for his attention to detail, teaching style and being firm when called for. “One of the first things you realize as a coach is this” It is all about the players.’’
As he talked in the tunnel leading from the left-field foul line to the Phillies clubhouse at Spectrum Field on Sunday morning, the 54-year-old Thomson was looking toward the Yankees dugout waiting for familiar faces to surface. When he took five steps toward the foul line Steve Donohue (trainer), Gene Monahan (former trainer), Chad Bohling (mental conditioning director), Ben Tuliebitz (traveling secretary) and Carlos Mendoza (infield coach) started out of the Yankees’ dugout to begin a parade of handshakes and hugs for a guy who has five World Series rings and many believed would have been a Yankee until he retired.
➤ Barring an injury or two, Justus Sheffield is ticketed for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with the idea that at some point in the upcoming season the 21-year-old left-hander may reach the big leagues.
For an inning during Sunday’s 8-3 win over the Phillies, Sheffield threw like he belonged. Replacing Jordan Mont
gomery to start the third frame, Sheffield struck out the first two hitters and retired the third on a ground ball. Even though the second inning was rough — three runs and a homer — Boone said he was impressed.
“I think it’s really important that he walked out of there with a lot of confidence because if you had never seen him pitch before and you saw him in that first inning he would open your eyes. He was special,’’ Boone said.
Sheffield said a mechanical flaw led to Maikel Franco’s two-run homer.
➤ Masahiro Tanaka and CC Sabathia threw simulated games against the meat of the Yankees’ lineup Sunday at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Tanaka and Sabathia each worked two innings against Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Gary Sanchez. Tanaka gave up four hits and a run. Sabathia didn’t give up a run or a hit.