Aaron Boone noted that he spoke to the Yankees after Friday night’s 8-2 loss to the Rays, one that was marred by fan frustration boiling over so much that some in attendance at Yankee Stadium.
It was a conversation, according to Clint Frazier, who was at-bat when the Friday loss was delayed, woke the team up a little bit.
“Boonie is one of the most positive guys behind the scenes for us; he’s so chill that when he does address us that way, everyone’s ears perk up,” Frazier said. “Everyone wants to figure out why we’re struggling, but we as a team and as players have set the expectations so high, people get upset when we don’t reach them, and we have to find a way to go out there and figure it out. That’s the message I took from it, and maybe it was needed.”
Boone put it a little more bluntly when asked about the frustration of the team’s early skid before Saturday’s game.
“I think more pissed off at the way we’ve come out of the gates here and not played our best, but I think we all share that in that room,” the skipper said. “I concern myself with all things with our club, and as far as big picture and where I think we’re going, I’m still as confident as ever well work our way out of this, and get rolling eventually and be the team we expect.”
Boone noted “it’s always frustrating when you’re going through a tough time,” especially in this case with a team with high expectations.
“Frustration starts with me and on through the coaches and players, because we expect better. We set a high bar in there, and those guys with what they’ve accomplished have set a high bar, and when we don’t meet that, we’re not thrilled with that,” Boone said.
Not yet panic mode, though, as everyone in that locker room to a man knows struggle is part of the game.
“We also understand we’re going have stretched like that, but we have to work through it,” Boone said. “Part of being a major-leaguer playing a 162-game season is knowing adversity is going to show up for you. You don’t know when or where or how often, but you have to deal with it, and we have that urgency every day we show up.”
As the leader of the team, Boone knows his job is to “set the right kind of tone,” but it’s also the players’ job to execute.
“I try to react authentically with my guys all the time, nothing more or less than that, but we need to play better,” Boone said. “I have to make sure we’re showing up with the right level of focus and energy, and try to help put us in a place to go out and thrive.”
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