The New York Yankees are one of the biggest disappointments in baseball this season and somebody is going to pay the price. Some are wondering if that will be manager Aaron Boone, who’s been in that position since 2018.
Longtime major-league pitcher and three-time World Series champion Curt Schilling thinks it shouldn’t fall on Boone’s shoulders. Schilling explained why during his appearance on Audacy’s original “The Bret Boone Podcast” this week.
“I think they’re going to make a huge mistake in making him pay for this horrible season,” Schilling said (1:20:25 in player above). “I think it’s going to be the worst thing they could possibly do in that situation.”
Even though the Yankees haven’t lived up to expectations this season, Schilling opines that Boone is able to do what other managers can’t nowadays.
“I think he is the personification of what you want in a major league manager these days, and I would argue that there’s probably not a guy in that clubhouse that wouldn’t take a bullet for him,” he continued. “You can’t get that buy-in with the modern-day athlete like he’s gotten.”
Boone has done what he can as manager, Schilling explained, and at some point, the players need to be held accountable.
“They’ve underperformed. The players are soft. They’ve been hurt and they just haven’t done the things they’re supposed to do,” he said. “None of it falls on him but somebody pays the price and you can’t fire the team.”
Schilling ultimately believes that Boone will lead a team to a World Series one day, whether that’s in New York or elsewhere.
“I think he’s one of God’s good people and I hope he’s on the other side of this,” Schilling said. “Aaron Boone will manage a World Champion at some point.”