With the Yankees skidding for over a month, Aaron Boone has heard plenty of complaints lately.
Sometimes they stem from his team’s poor play. Other times, they’re centered on Boone’s relentlessly optimistic or repeated quotes — “It’s right in front of us” always annoys the Bronx faithful — which don’t always line up with what fans and reporters just saw. And even in good times, there’s always qualms about the lineup.
Such was the case on Tuesday and Wednesday against the Mets.
On Tuesday, Boone’s decision to bat Jahmai Jones and J.D. Davis first and fourth, respectively, led to an uproar on social media and a few pregame questions, as the two had combined for 59 plate appearances as Yankees prior to the game. Davis had not played since July 4.
The duo proceeded to total zero hits, four strikeouts and a double play in a 3-2 loss. The Mets pitched around Aaron Judge multiple times with Davis on-deck.
On Wednesday, Davis found himself in the lineup again, this time batting seventh and DH’ing. While demoted in the lineup, a lot of fans wanted to see lefty-swinging first baseman Ben Rice playing over the right-handed Davis.
Boone essentially said that Davis started both games because the Mets threw lefties Jose Quintana and Sean Manaea. However, neither pitcher’s 2024 splits hinted at much of a platoon advantage. The same can be said of the .063 average as a Yankee that Davis took into Wednesday’s game.
“This is a guy that recently has had a good amount of success,” Boone said of Davis beforehand, adding that Manaea has been tougher on lefties throughout his career than he has been this season.
A few other lineup inquiries ultimately led to a question about how Boone tunes out the public criticism that has often been directed at him during his seven seasons as Yankees manager.
Fair or not, he’s regularly been the target of scorn over the years. He’s learned to tune it out.
“I mean, I got a job to do, and that’s how I look at it,” Boone said. “So I don’t pay attention to it during the year when we’re going through it and you’re in the mix of it because you start to cloud your judgment. There’s a lot of things that go into different things each and every day. In the end, you’re trying to do everything you can to put yourself in the best chance to win. So that’s my job. That’s what I’m tasked with. You can’t get caught up in listening to this or that. That’s not a great place to be in.”
Asked if he’s heard critics over the last couple days, Boone noted the original question in a joking manner. He added that the “YES Network was on when I walked in the door,” implying that the Yankees’ own regional network wasn’t broadcasting a positive segment.
“Everyone’s smarter and knows and that’s fine,” Boone continued. “That’s part of it. You know that walking in. I knew that when I sat down for my first press conference. You know that all that stuff’s coming. There’s a lot of stuff that I have to deal with every day.”
With all that said, Boone stands by his decisions.
More will certainly be scrutinized, regardless of how the Yankees play moving forward. Don’t expect those protests, even the warranted ones, to influence the manager, though.
“Again, we’re trying to win baseball games,” Boone said, “and I’m comfortable with those decisions, confident in those decisions. [I’m] just trying to put our best group in the best situation every night.”
