If the puppet show fails to meet expectations, don’t blame the puppet.
New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter gave some Hall-of-Famer credence to the rumblings that general manager Brian Cashman keeps a tight control over the decisions of manager Aaron Boone. During the FS1 postgame show Wednesday night after the Yankees were ousted in four games from the AL Division Series by the Toronto Blue Jays, Jeter tried to deflect criticism away from Boone, suggesting that a portion of in-game calls are likely coming from an office higher in the stadium than the dugout.
“I know he takes a lot of heat, but uh, look, I’m not saying it from any inside knowledge, but I’m pretty sure Aaron’s not the one that’s calling every move that they make throughout the game,” Jeter stated.
Alex Rodriguez Blasts Roster Construction of Yankees Front Office: ‘One of the Worst’
Jeter commended Boone for the job he did “with what he has to work with,” stressing that in the end, the Yankees were simply beaten by a superior opponent.
“In this series, the Toronto Blue Jays proved that they were a better team,” Jeter said. “From top to bottom, they were a better team.”
Jeter’s comments came shortly after Alex Rodriguez had also defended Boone, saying the manager deserved little — if any — of the blame for the Yankees’ loss. Instead, Rodriguez pointed to the roster the front office handed him.
“For me personally, one of the worst constructions of a roster I’ve ever seen,” Rodriguez said. “You have three left-handed catchers. You have five DHs. You have a first baseman in and out. It’s just a very, very difficult hand for Boone and honestly, uh, they were exposed against a, a much better Jay’s team.”
Yankees Color Commentator Says Aaron Boone ‘Is In Lockstep’ With Brian Cashman
But Suzyn Waldman pushed back against the claim that Boone is just a “yes man” serving the needs of Cashman and the front office. The longtime radio analyst and color commentator for the Yankees, Waldman stressed to WFAN hosts Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata on Thursday that Boone simply “is in lockstep with” Cashman on so many levels, particularly regarding the use of analytics.
“I don’t understand why nobody understands this. He believes everything they believe,” Waldman said. “They go over a plan that they think, ‘This’ll happen, this’ll happen, and this’ll happen.’ If it doesn’t happen, Boone makes the decision of who can come out, but don’t think he disagrees with them. I don’t think anybody gets that concept.”
Waldman cited the lengthy interview process that Boone went through to get the Yankees job. She said a portion of it involved Boone making out lineups and comparing them to lineups put together by front office people via analytical data.
“He matched them all the time,” Waldman said. “He thinks just like the [front office]. What do they think they do? That someone calls down from Cashman’s suite and there’s a phone in the dugout that says, ‘Bring in this guy.’ These decisions, in-game, they’re [Boone’s]. But the plan is that whole group. It’s a group. It’s not somebody sitting upstairs and coming down. It’s together.”
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