SO MUCH FOR URGENT CARE
Boone: Manager did ‘great job,’ Cash says
Hal Steinbrenner quashed any notion of manager Aaron Boone’s job being in jeopardy last month when he told The Associated Press he wouldn’t be making a change at the spot, adding, “I believe he’s a very good manager.”
General manager Brian Cashman went one step further Friday, saying he thought Boone, in his fifth season at the helm of the Yankees, “did a great job.”
Boone drew criticism in the second half of the season and the playoffs for some questionable decision-making, from pulling Gerrit Cole for Lou Trivino with the bases loaded and no one out in the sixth inning of Game 3 of the ALCS against Houston, to repeatedly using Clarke Schmidt in critical spots out of the bullpen, to poor communication with Clay Holmes when the right-hander was deemed unavailable in Game 3 of the ALDS in Cleveland.
Despite miscues like those, Cashman defended Boone, who signed a three-year extension a year ago.
“His process is good,’’ Cashman said at Yankee Stadium on Friday. “He’s really good. And he’s not afraid to deal with the obvious in the biggest market, which is talking through it to the best of his abilities when they don’t work out. But I support him 110 percent.”
These days, it’s Cashman who doesn’t have a contract, but the longtime GM seems secure in his position, meaning the tandem is almost certain to be intact for at least one more year.
It’s not surprising when you consider the Yankees have made the playoffs in all five of their seasons together, but the franchise still hasn’t been to the World Series since 2009.
“When you have success, there’s less second-guessing and when you have failure, there’s a lot of second-guessing,’’ Cashman said. “You can pick apart anybody at any time.”
Cashman made it clear that he has no issues with how Boone — or his coaching staff — approaches the game.
“I do not question his process,’’ Cashman said of Boone. “I do not question his commitment with his staff and being in the best position they possibly can to make in-game decisions. They’re not easy. They’re really difficult as the ebbs and flows of these innings play out and what’s available for you that day. I certainly believe in Aaron Boone and know he’s paid to make difficult decisions on the run. I know a lot goes into them. Every one he makes, am I going to agree with? The answer’s obviously not going to be yes. But I know I’m certainly not capable of managing a major league team. There’s very few people that are. I think he’s really good at it.”
Repeatedly throughout Cashman’s press conference, which followed Boone’s, the GM pointed to injuries to key personnel as a main reason why the Yankees followed up a red-hot first half with a disappointing second half and postseason.
“I think he’s got a great demeanor and rapport with his players and when we were firing on all cylinders and healthy, we were tough to beat,’’ Cashman said. “It was fun to watch. Then, along the way, at the worst time possible — August and September — the wheels started falling off with injuries. Timing is everything. So that changes the equation and ultimately we didn’t get as far as we’d hoped with the entire crew we wanted. But [Boone] never wavered and his staff never wavered in, ‘How can we figure this out?’ and ‘We’ll find a way.’ ”
For Boone’s part, he said he wasn’t concerned about his future following the playoff exit and is satisfied with how he and his staff work together.
“I am comfortable with our process, with my process,’’ Boone said. “You’re constantly trying to evaluate that and trying to be better at it and trying to grow at it. I think I’ve done that and we’ve done that. … I think we’re a very well-run and buttoned up organization that is very prepared at what we do.”