| Aaron Boone | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
_cropped.jpg) Boone with the New York Yankees in 2018 | |||||||||||||||
| New York Yankees – No. 17 | |||||||||||||||
| Third baseman /Manager | |||||||||||||||
| Born: (1973-03-09)March 9, 1973 (age 52) La Mesa, California, U.S. | |||||||||||||||
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |||||||||||||||
| MLB debut | |||||||||||||||
| June 20, 1997, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||||||||||||||
| Last MLB appearance | |||||||||||||||
| October 4, 2009, for the Houston Astros | |||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics (through 2025 season) | |||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .263 | ||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 126 | ||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 555 | ||||||||||||||
| Managerial record | 697–497 | ||||||||||||||
| Winning % | .584 | ||||||||||||||
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |||||||||||||||
| Managerial record at Baseball Reference | |||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||
As player
As manager
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Aaron John Boone (born March 9, 1973) is an American professional baseballmanager and formerinfielder who is the manager of theNew York Yankees ofMajor League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for 13 seasons from 1997 to 2009. As a player, Boone is most recognized for his 2003 campaign with the Yankees, during which he hit the winningwalk-off home run of the2003 American League Championship Series.
Following the conclusion of his playing career, Boone was an analyst forESPN'sSunday Night Baseball andBaseball Tonight from 2010 to 2017. He began serving as the Yankees' manager in 2018, leading the team to the playoffs in seven of his eight seasons and oneWorld Series appearance in 2024.
Boone attendedVilla Park High School inVilla Park, California. Hebatted .423 with 22stolen bases for the school's baseball team in his senior year, and was named theCentury League's co-player of the year. TheCalifornia Angels selected Boone on the third day of the1991 MLB draft, but he had no intention to sign a professional contract.[1]
He attended theUniversity of Southern California (USC) and playedcollege baseball for theUSC Trojans. In 1993, he playedcollegiate summer baseball for theOrleans Cardinals of theCape Cod Baseball League, where he was named a league all-star and helped lead Orleans to the leaguechampionship.[2][3][4]
TheCincinnati Reds selected Boone in the third round of the1994 MLB draft.[5] Boone made his MLB debut in June 1997,[6] and was ejected from the game after being called out sliding into home.[7][8] On the last day of the 1998 season, the Reds started the only MLBinfield composed of two sets of brothers: first basemanStephen Larkin,second basemanBret Boone,shortstopBarry Larkin, and third baseman Aaron Boone.[9][10]
On September 22, 2002, Boone hit the last home run inRiverfront Stadium in the eighth inning of the Reds' 4–3 loss to thePhiladelphia Phillies, a solo home run off relieverDan Plesac.[11] Boone hit a career-high 26 home runs in 2002, playing in all 162 games. The Reds named Boone their team'smost valuable player. He appeared in the2003 MLB All-Star Game.[12]
The New York Yankees acquired Boone from the Reds forBrandon Claussen,Charlie Manning, and cash on July 31, 2003.[13] In 54 games after the trade, he hit .254 with a .720 OPS, six home runs and 31 RBIs.[14]
During Game 7 of the2003 American League Championship Series (ALCS), Boone hit awalk-off home run in the 11th inning, offTim Wakefield, which gave theYankees a 6–5 victory over theBoston Red Sox, thus prolonging theCurse of the Bambino. TheNew York Daily News dubbed the play the "Curse of the Boonebino".[15] This home run was rated the ninth-best home run of all time onBaseball Tonight. Afterward, some Red Sox fans called Boone "Aaron Fucking Boone," much as they calledBucky Dent "Bucky Fucking Dent."[16]
In January 2004, Boone tore theanterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a pick-up basketball game. The game violated the standard MLB player contract, which forbids taking part in off-season basketball, skiing, and surfing. The Yankees immediately hinted that they would terminate his contract.[17][18][16]Soon after trading forAlex Rodriguez to play third base, the Yankees released Boone on February 27, 2004.[14]
Boone signed a two-year contract with theCleveland Indians in June 2004. He earned $600,000 for 2004, $3 million for the 2005 season, and a club option for the 2006 season worth $4.5 million.[19] After missing the entire 2004 season, Boone played 154 games in 2005. He batted .243 with 16 home runs and 60 RBIs.[20] The Indians exercised an option on Boone's contract for the 2006 season.[21] In his second season with Cleveland, he batted .251 with seven home runs.[22]
On December 29, 2006, Boone signed a one-year contract with theFlorida Marlins worth $925,000.[22][23] He batted .286 in 69 games for the Marlins in 2007.[24]
On December 6, 2007, Boone signed a one-year, $1,000,000 contract with the Washington Nationals.[25] In 104 games, Boone hit .241 with 6 home runs and 28 RBIs in 2008.
On December 18, 2008, Boone signed a one-year $750,000, plus incentives, deal with the Houston Astros.[26] He played in only 10 games in 2009, reaching base only once—on ahit by pitch—in 14 plate appearances.
In March 2009, Boone underwentopen-heart surgery to replace abicuspid aortic valve, a condition that he has been aware of since childhood, but which routine tests indicated had recently worsened. Boone stated that doctors told him he could play baseball when he recovered, but he was not sure if he would choose to do so.[27][28][29] Boone returned to baseball on August 10, when he began his rehabilitation with theCorpus Christi Hooks, the Astros' Double-A minor league affiliate. He played five innings and was hitless in two plate appearances. Boone stated after the game that his goal was to return to the major leagues by September 1, the date that major league rosters expand.[30] Boone was activated on September 1, and added to the Astros' expanded roster.[31] On September 2, Boone made his season debut, playing at first base and going 0 for 3.[32] On September 16, Boone stated that he was leaning towards retirement, and on October 4, he played his last game.
Boone served as a guest analyst for theMLB Network coverage of the2009 ALCS between theNew York Yankees andLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
On February 23, 2010, Boone announced his retirement and that he would become an analyst forESPN.[33] Boone appeared onMonday Night Baseball and forBaseball Tonight's pregame show on Sunday night.[34] Boone called the2014 and2015 World Series forESPN Radio withplay-by-play announcerDan Shulman.[35]Jessica Mendoza and he became color commentators onSunday Night Baseball with Shulman in 2016.[34] Boone and Shulman continued to call World Series games for ESPN Radio through 2017.[36]
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After the2017 season, the Yankees decided not to retainJoe Girardi as theirmanager; they hired Boone to succeed him on December 4, 2017.[37][38][39] The Yankees started the2018 season with a 6–1 win against theToronto Blue Jays on March 29, 2018.[40] On September 2, 2018, Boone was suspended for one game for making illegal contact with an umpire.[41] He finished his first season with a 100–62 record,[42] good for second in the American League East,[42] and led the Yankees to the wild card game against theOakland Athletics, despite losing star outfielder and team leaderAaron Judge for two months with a wrist injury. On October 3, 2018, the Yankees defeated the Athletics 7–2 to advance to theAmerican League Division Series,[43] giving Boone his first postseason win as a manager. The Boston Red Sox eliminated the New York Yankees three–games–to–one in theAmerican League Division Seriesen route to aWorld Series victory.
The Yankees started the2019 season with a 7–2 win against theBaltimore Orioles on March 28, 2019. On September 19, after winning against theLos Angeles Angels 9–1, the Yankees clinched the American League East, becoming AL East Division Champions for the first time since 2012 and also earning their 100th win. Boone became the first manager in MLB history to have 100 or more wins in each of his first two seasons. The Yankees went on to lose to the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series.
Following the 2019 season, Boone was named a finalist for American LeagueManager of the Year award. He finished runner-up toMinnesota Twins manager,Rocco Baldelli.
Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the Yankees and the other 29 Major League Baseball teams only played a 60-game regular season. The Yankees started off the shortened season with a hot 16–6 start, but then lost 15 of their next 20 games, evening their record at 21–21. The Yankees then won 10 straight to finish the season second in their division with a 33–27 record, seven games behind the division-championTampa Bay Rays, who they lost eight of 10 games to in the regular season, in the AL East, but good enough for the fifth seed in the American League due to MLB's postseason expansion for the season. The Yankees swept theCleveland Indians in a best-of-three wild card series to advance to the ALDS against theTampa Bay Rays, but their struggles against the Rays continued, as they were eliminated in five games.
During the 2021 season, the Yankees had what was called one of the "streakiest [teams] in recent memory.[44] Through July 4, the team struggled to a 41–41 record with half of the season left to play, then went on a 51–29 run to end the season at 92–70. Between August 14 and 28, the Yankees won 13 consecutive games, tied for fifth-longest in franchise history.[45] Following the winning streak, the team stumbled, going 3–12 between August 28 and September 12,[46] and finished tied for second in the American League East behind the Tampa Bay Rays, but lost thewild card game to the Boston Red Sox 6–2.[47]
Following the season, Boone signed a three-year contract with the Yankees with a club option for 2025.[48]
In 2022, Boone was ejected from nine games. He was ejected four times more often than any other MLB manager.[49] The Yankees were 64–28 in the first half of the season by the All-Star Game and potentially headed to 100 wins. They proceeded to win 35 of their next 70 games to finish with a 99–63 record and an AL East title. They earned home-field advantage in Games 1, 2, and 5 of the ALDS. They beat theCleveland Guardians in five games, but got swept by the Houston Astros in the ALCS, marking Boone's fifth-straight playoff exit.
MLB suspended Boone for one game on May 26, 2023, for his conduct towards umpires after his fourth ejection of the season, and second in four days, the prior day.[50] As of June 9, Boone has the third-highest ejection rate in MLB history among managers, behind onlyPaul Richards andFrankie Frisch, and ahead ofEarl Weaver,Bobby Cox, andRon Gardenhire, managers who were all known for their proclivity for getting ejected.[51]
On September 24, 2023, the Yankees were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time under Boone's management.[52] The team finished the season 82–80.
The Yankees finished the season first in the American League East at 94–68, beat theKansas City Royals in four games in theALDS andCleveland Guardians in five games in theALCS for their first AL Pennant and World Series appearance since 2009,[53] where they subsequently lost to theLos Angeles Dodgers in five games. On November 8, 2024, the Yankees exercised the 2025 option clause for Boone.[54]
Before the 2025 regular season began, Boone and the Yankees agreed to a two-year contract extension through 2027.[55]
The Yankees finished second in the AL East with a 94–68 record, narrowly behind the Toronto Blue Jays, who held the tiebreaker. They advanced past the Boston Red Sox by winning theWild Card Series 2–1. They would go on to lose theDivision Series to the Toronto Blue Jays 3–1.
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | |||
| NYY | 2018 | 162 | 100 | 62 | .617 | 2nd in AL East | 2 | 3 | .400 | LostALDS (BOS) | |
| NYY | 2019 | 162 | 103 | 59 | .636 | 1st in AL East | 5 | 4 | .556 | LostALCS (HOU) | |
| NYY | 2020 | 60 | 33 | 27 | .550 | 2nd in AL East | 4 | 3 | .571 | LostALDS (TB) | |
| NYY | 2021 | 162 | 92 | 70 | .568 | 3rd in AL East | 0 | 1 | .000 | LostALWC (BOS) | |
| NYY | 2022 | 162 | 99 | 63 | .611 | 1st in AL East | 3 | 6 | .333 | LostALCS (HOU) | |
| NYY | 2023 | 162 | 82 | 80 | .506 | 4th in AL East | – | – | – | – | |
| NYY | 2024 | 162 | 94 | 68 | .580 | 1st in AL East | 8 | 6 | .571 | LostWorld Series (LAD) | |
| NYY | 2025 | 162 | 94 | 68 | .580 | 2nd in AL East | 3 | 4 | .429 | LostALDS (TOR） | |
| Total | 1,194 | 697 | 497 | .584 | 25 | 27 | .481 | ||||
Boone is the son of former catcher and managerBob Boone, the brother of All Star and four-time Gold Glove winner and currentTexas Rangers hitting coachBret Boone, the brother of former Cincinnati Reds minor leaguer Matt Boone, and the grandson of former major leaguerRay Boone. As children, Aaron and Bret spent time in thePhillies clubhouse with fellow sons of other major league players, includingPete Rose Jr.[56] Boone is a descendant of pioneerDaniel Boone.[57] Boone is a fan of thePhiladelphia Eagles football team.[58]
Boone's wife,Laura Cover, was aPlayboyPlaymate (Miss October 1998). Boone lived inScottsdale, Arizona until becoming Yankees manager, when he moved toGreenwich, Connecticut.[59][60][61] Boone and Cover have four children—two biological children and two adopted.[62]
Boone had open-heart surgery in 2009 and had surgery to implant a pacemaker in March 2021.[63] Boone was quoted as feeling "awesome" after being on the bench for two weeks following the procedure.
