Boone first person with no experience to interview with Yankees

Aaron Boone became the first person with no experience as a manager or coach to interview to become Joe Girardi’s successor with the New York Yankees.

Boone, 44, interviewed Friday, becoming the fourth to go through the process after Yankees bench coach Rob Thomson, former Cleveland and Seattle manager Eric Wedge, and San Francisco bench coach Hensley Meulens. Boone is a third generation major leaguer and played in the major leagues from 1997-2009. His 11th-inning home run off Boston’s Tim Wakefield won Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series for the Yankees. He has been an analyst for ESPN since his retirement as a player. His father, Bob, managed Kansas City from 1995-97 and Cincinnati from 2001-03.

Braves

John Hart left Atlanta less than a week after being stripped of his role as president of baseball operations. The decision was not unexpected given the hiring of general manager Alex Anthopoulos, who now is in charge of all baseball-related decisions. Hart was bumped to the role of senior adviser, but clearly had no real power.

A former general manager in Cleveland and Texas, Hart, 69, took on a leading role with the Braves at the end of the 2014 season after the firing of general manager Frank Wren.

Hart took part in a massive overhaul of the Braves roster and minor league system, which brought in some top young talent but has yet to produce results on the field. Atlanta has had four straight losing seasons since its last playoff appearance in 2013. Hart calls it “a difficult decision” but says the team “is in great hands” with Anthopoulos.

Athletics

Oakland hired former San Francisco Giants star Matt Williams as their new third-base coach. The A’s announced that Williams will join manager Bob Melvin’s staff. Melvin was a coach in Arizona for two seasons late in Williams’ career with the Diamondbacks.

Elsewhere

Former Detroit Tigers pitcher Angel Nesbitt, a free agent, is among five players who have been suspended for violations of the minor league drug program. Three players from the Toronto Blue Jays were suspended. Nesbitt was banned 50 games for testing positive for the stimulant Heptaminol.