Aaron Boone, mainly known for his relentless optimism, sometimes to the point of frustration among Yankee fans, had a rare departure from that form last month when he slammed a table in frustration as he talked with reporters about the Yankees’ brutal slump.
At the time, the once cozy lead in the AL East seemed to be hanging in the balance, as injuries and an absence of offense outside of Aaron Judge brought the Bombers near crisis mode. But as Boone smacked his hand down on the table as he sat behind a microphone, saying the division title was “right in front of us,” the Yanks responded with a five-game winning streak, and now, five weeks later, have the AL East locked up, and a Wild Card Series bye.
Was Boone’s brief tirade a wake-up call for the Yanks? Some players told Randy Miller of NJ.com that it was indeed a turning point.
“He was sending a different type of message and tactic to pick us to pick it up,” Giancarlo Stanton told Miller. “I definitely noticed. I saw it on my phone and TV. And it worked.”
The Yankees went 17-7 in September after going 6-4 in their first 10 games after Boone’s smackdown. There were still tough losses in the early going, like a miserable 3-4 west coast trip against the lowly A’s and Angels, but the Yanks got healthier, took a huge series from the Rays with an offensive explosion, and never looked back.
Some in the locker room say it was Boone that awakened the team with his loud slam.
“Seeing Boone do what he did that day,” Jameson Taillon said. “I think that helped us get through it.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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