Aaron Boone

New York Yankees: Sonny Gray “Circle the wagons!”

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Sonny Gray seemed no closer to figuring out how to regain his All-Star form on Friday night against the Toronto Blue Jays. After announcing this week that he was tweaking his mechanics, his performance against the Blue Jays was underwhelming, and worse, led to an ugly Yankee loss.

First of all, these are the not Blue Jays who were projected by some to finish third in the AL East. This Blue Jay team is outperforming projections to sit in the number two spot behind the first place Boston Red Sox. Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com writes:

“The Blue Jays are scoring more runs per game (6.0) than any team in the American League except for the Red Sox (6.4 entering play Friday night). That has been good enough for a second-place spot in the AL East and early possession of an AL Wild Card spot. On the road, Toronto is 6-3 to start the year and has been outscoring its opponents 47-34.”

Gray had a formidable task ahead of him when he took the mound Friday night—bounce back against one of the hottest offensive teams in the league.

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According to Peter Botte of the New York Daily News, Aaron Boone discussed Gray’s performance after the game and said:

“The fastball velocity was down, even from last time where he struggled in Boston… And it turns into a tough night for him,” Aaron Boone said of Gray. “We’ve got to kind of circle the wagons with him and continue to work through it, because he’s really important to us. We’ve got to bea [sic] part of getting him right and back on track, but this was tough tonight.”

The Yankee offense was off to a good start with a pair of two run home runs, one by Tyler Austin in the second inning and one by Giancarlo Stanton in the third inning; however, Gray could not hold the lead in either inning and gave up five runs over 3.1 innings. Despite another Yankee home run by Miguel Andujar, the Yankees eventually lost the game 8-5.

Boone acknowledges that Gray has lost his form and with it his effectiveness and Botte points out:

“Gray finished the game generating only one swing and miss among his 73 pitches. His walk rate of 6.0 per nine innings is nearly double the career-high of 3.2 he posted last season.”

Gray had seemingly lost command of the strike zone and on those occasions when he found it, he did not fool Blue Jays hitters with his stuff.

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When asked after the game what had happened in the four hit three run fourth inning, Gray told Botte that the inning “just kind of got away from me,” as if it were a helium balloon he just happened to let go of and not the pounding that it actually was.

Yes, Boone, circle the wagons, and, perhaps, bring the reinforcements, fans agree that Sonny Gray is a problem the Yankees need to solve and quickly.

CC Sabathia and the Yankees make good news with video and other Yankee notes for April 19

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New York Yankees, Yankees, CC Sabathia

When 10 year old Cassidy Slater from Scranton, PA posted a two and a half minute video on Facebook detailing the bullying she experienced at school, she might not have imagined that 25 men in pinstripes and their manager would respond with such strong, compassionate support for her.

The Yankees responded with a video clip of their own addressed to Cassidy with each man on the roster holding up words of support that clearly showed her they “have her back.” At the end of the video, manager Aaron Boone suggests an invite to the stadium.

There’s rumblings around the Yankees’ clubhouse that Giancarlo Stanton should be moved down in the lineup tonight. Brendan Kuty reports what Aaron Boone had to say about moving Stanton:

“I might flirt with splitting different guys up (in the lineup) and stuff,” Boone said, “but not moving him down too far because he’s one at-bat away from getting it locked back in but the last thing you want is him down in the order, getting pitched around.”

It will be interesting to see when Boone posts the lineup today if he makes a change and perhaps drops Stanton to fifth or sixth from the number three spot.

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The Yankees re-acquired first baseman Adam Lind, 34, who had been released at his own request during spring training.

Lind, who hit .301 with 14 homers for the Nationals last year, was signed as insurance at first base, and perhaps, to man the bag while Tyler Austin serves his five-game suspension beginning on Thursday. Neil Walker, who has shared duties at first base with Greg Bird on the disabled list, has had a slow start to the season batting only .173.

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When the 8-8 Yankees take on the 12-5 Toronto Blue Jays tonight, CC Sabathia returns to the mound against RHP Aaron Sanchez. Sabathia last pitched on April 6 against the Orioles and was removed from the game with hip soreness.

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In 2017, Sabathia was 2-2 with one no-decision against the Blue Jays with a 4.22 ERA. Yankee fans are hoping he returns with a strong performance tonight at home against the Jays.

Game 4: New York Yankees at Blue Jays

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New York Yankees, Aaron boone

The New York Yankees had a rough Easter Sunday in Toronto. The day started out pretty good for the Yankees as they piled on runs against the Blue Jays in the top of the third. Sonny Gray had a nice start, but was not efficient enough today and forced Aaron Boone to go to the bullpen in the fifth inning.

The person who is mostly responsible for the disaster is manager Aaron Boone. His decision to intentionally walk Josh Donaldson and pitch to Justin Smoak was clearly one he will learn from.

W- Clippard 1-0 (3.00 ERA)

L- Robertson 0-1 (18.00 ERA)

S- Oh (1)

Offensive Recap

The Yankees had a big third inning today where they plated all four of their runs with two outs. After back to back to strikeouts to Brett Gardner and Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton worked a walk. Didi Gregorius then smacked a line drive double to center that scored Stanton.

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Neil Walker then followed up Didi’s RBI double with an RBI single of his own.

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The biggest blow of the inning was Brandon Drury’s two run homer he hit that gave the Yankees a 4-1 lead.

Pitching Recap

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Sonny Gray pitched in his first start of the 2018 season and looked good. He did not have a great day and threw many pitches. Gray faced a jam in the first with runners on first and third with no outs. Gray worked some magic with his nasty breaking ball to strike out the next three batters.

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Gray faced some trouble in the second and was bailed out by Aaron Judge when he fired a laser to Austin Romine to nab Russell Martin at the plate.

Devon Travis lined a single in the next at bat that scored Kevin Pillar. This was the only run that Sonny Gray allowed in four innings pitched. Chad Green relieved Gray in the fifth after he walked the first batter of the inning. Green was dominate in the two innings he pitched striking out four and only allowing one hit.

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Tommy Kahnle relieved Green in the seventh and did not have a great outing today. He walked the first batter he faced, Josh Donaldson, and then served up a two run homer to Justin Smoak to cut the lead to 4-3.

David Robertson then came into the game in the seventh to retire the last out of the inning. Robertson came back out for the eighth and this is where things went downhill.

Martin singled to lead off the bottom of the eighth, Pillar lined out, Aledmys Diaz hit a double and Devin Travis grounded out to Robertson.

Then Josh Donaldson was due up and he was intentionally walked. Many questioned this decision; even YES analyst David Cone who said this decision was wrong.

Smoak stepped into the box and after an eight pitch battle with Robertson smoked (no pun intended) a grand slam into dead center on the ninth pitch of the at-bat. The Blue Jays took a 7-4 lead and Oh closed out the game for the Jays.

Player of the Game

For the second day in a row Justin Smoak had a big game against the Yankees. He blasted two homers in today’s game and single-handedly beat the Yankees with his bat.

Smoak: 3-4, 2 HR, 1 BB, 6 RBI

Tomorrows Game

Rays at Yankees (Home Opener)

1:05 ET Yankees Stadium

Pruitt 1-0(0.00 ERA) vs Montgomery 0-0 (0.00 ERA)

 

Getting to Know Your Yankee Bench Coach: Josh Bard

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Background:

Joshua David Bard (born March 30, 1978) is a former Major League baseball catcher. Bard played for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres, Washington Nationals and Seattle Mariners from ’02 to 2011.

Bard played along side of the new New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone in 2005 for the Indians. Bard spent most of his career dealing with injuries, however when healthy Josh served as a good backup catcher.

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After Bard retired in 2012 he became a Special Assistant with the Los Angeles Dodgers and would serve in that role until becoming the bullpen coach for the Dodgers prior to their 2016 season.

Through his relationship with Aaron Boone Josh Bard was hired to be the New York Yankees bench coach for the upcoming 2018 season.

Bench Coach? What Does He Do ?

According to the MLB.com Glossary the definition of what the Pitching Coach is:

“A bench coach is typically considered the right-hand man to his team’s manager and helps to foster a positive environment in the clubhouse as well as communication between the player roster and coaching staff. Bench coaches assist their managers in decision-making and will sometimes relay scouting information from the team’s front office to the club’s players.”

“Many bench coaches are former or aspiring managers. The bench coach typically steps in to act as manager when the regular manager is unavailable (often as a result of being ejected from the game).”

What to Expect ?

Josh Bard is the right hand man of Aaron Boone as thus his responsibilities will be many, however his biggest and arguably most important job will be assisting Boone on this brand new journey.

Getting to Know Your Yankee Pitching Coach: Larry Rothschild

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Background:

Lawrence (Larry) Lee Rothschild (born March 12, 1954) is a former Major League pitcher, coach, and manager. Rothschild played for the Detroit Tigers in parts of the 1981 and 1982 seasons.

Rothschild then worked as a coach with the Cincinnati Reds from 1986 through 1993, Larry was also a part of the coaching staff of the World Series winning Reds in 1990 serving as the team’s bullpen coach for their sweep of the Oakland A’s.

The former pitcher also worked with the Atlanta Braves as a pitching instructor in 1995 before joining the then Florida Marlins in 1995 through 1997, where he won another World Series ring with the Fish against the New York Yankees.

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Rothschild was then tasked with becoming the manager of the newly formed Tampa Bay Devil Rays for their inaugural season in 1998. Larry managed in Tampa from 1998 until the early part of the 2001 season. Tampa decided to move on from Larry as manager and he spent the remainder of 2001 as a consultant with the Florida Marlins. In 2002 Rothschild was brought on to be the pitching coach for the Chicago Cubs.

Fast forwarding to the 2011 season Rothschild then signed on with the New York Yankees to serve as their pitching coach. Under Rothschild’s tenure, the Yankees pitching staff has posted a ERA of  3.73 in 2011, 3.84 in 2012, 3.94 in 2013, 3.75 in 2014, 4.03 in 2015, 4.16 in 2016, and 3.72 in 2017 . Rothschild was kept as pitching coach to serve along side of new manager Aaron Boone.

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Pitching Coach? What Does He Do ?

According to the MLB.com Glossary the definition of what the Pitching Coach is:

“Pitching coaches instruct their pitchers on pitching mechanics, pitch selection and preparation while also providing insight into the weaknesses of opposing hitters — often with the help of video technology.”

“Pitching coaches can alter a pitcher’s arm angle, placement on the pitching rubber or pitch selection in an effort to improve his performance or durability. During a game, the pitching coach assists the manager in making decisions pertaining to the starting pitcher and relief corps. He will also make occasional visits to the mound to help calm down or provide advice to a struggling pitcher.”

What to Expect ?

Larry Rothschild is widely regarded as a great pitching coach. With his experience as a former manager and years as a pitching coach, Larry will be a key asset to Aaron Boone in his maiden voyage as a big league skipper. Rothschild can be expected to help his pitchers maintain a high level of production throughout the season. And also to be that veteran coaching experience for the relatively inexperienced coaching staff.

Getting to Know Your Yankee Hitting Coaches: Marcus Thames And P.J. Pilittere

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Background:

Marcus Thames

Marcus Markley Thames (born March 6, 1977) is a former Major League outfielder and designated hitter; he played for the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers from 2002 through 2011. Thames was actually drafted by the Yankees in the 30th round of the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft. Thames made his New York Yankees debut in June 10th of 2002 hitting a 2-Run homer off of Hall of Famer and household name Randy Johnson.

For his career, Thames averaged a home run every 15.9 at-bats and holds the Detroit Tigers franchise record for average at-bats per home run, at a rate of 14.8 home runs per at bat.

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Thames has some coaching history within the New York Yankees organization. In 2013, Thames was named the hitting coach of the Class A-Advanced Tampa Yankees. In 2014 season Marcus Thames was then named the hitting coach for the Double-A Trenton Thunder.

In 2015 Marcus was a candidate for the hitting coach job as well as a new coaching staff position of assistant hitting coach.  Ultimately Thames was named hitting coach for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders the Yankees Triple-A team. Following the 2015 season and the prompted departure in the one game Wild Card against the Houston Astros, the Yankees dismissed former hitting coach Jeff Pentland. Pentland’s assistant hitting coach Alan Cockrell was given the job, and Thames was called upon to be his assistant for the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

In 2018 under new Manager Aaron Boone Marcus was asked to stay aboard with the team and promoted to head hitting coach and his assist hitting coach was also named.

P.J. Pilittere

Peter John Pilittere (born November 23, 1981) is a former Minor League Catcher and First Baseman.  Pilittere played college baseball at California State University, Fullerton and was a member of their 2004 College World Series championship team.

He too was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 13th round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft. Pilittere played in the Yankees’ organization until 2011. After his playing days were over he transitioned into becoming a coach for numerous teams in the Yankees minor leagues system. Ultimately coming aboard  Aaron Boone’s coaching staff and working with Marcus Thames as assistant Hitting Coach. 

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Hitting Coaches? What Do They Do ?

According to the MLB.com Glossary the definition of what the hitting coaches are:
Hitting coaches instruct players on matters related to hitting, such as batting mechanics, plate discipline and preparation. Hitting coaches in today’s game leverage video footage to prepare hitters for opposing pitchers and to help identify flaws or bad habits in hitters’ at-the-plate approach. Every Major League club has a hitting coach, and some also employ an assistant hitting coach.

What to Expect ?

Both Thames and Pilittere will have a fun lineup to work with as it’s full of big power. These guys will be called upon to help keep players out of prolonged slumps and to help the young players mature into successful hitters at the plate.

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It will be expected that this lineup will produce a lot of runs and hit a lot of home runs as well. Thames and Pilittere will be expected to help that process stay as consistent as possible all season long.

Getting to Know Your Yankee Third Base Coach: Phil Nevin

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Background:

Phillip Joseph Nevin (born January 19, 1971) is a former Major League baseball player. Nevin played third base, first base and outfield. He spent twelve seasons as a player in the Majors, appearing in 1,217 games between 1995 and 2006 for the Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, Anaheim Angels, San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs and Minnesota Twins. Nevin was brought in to be the third base coach of the New York Yankees by new manager Aaron Boone.

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Third Base Coach? What Does He Do ?

According to the MLB.com Glossary the definition of what the Third Base Coach is:
“The third-base coach stands in foul ground, just behind the third-base bag, and helps relay signals from the dugout to both batters and baserunners.”

“With a batter at the plate, a third-base coach will use pre-determined hand and arm gestures to indicate when said batter is expected to bunt, execute a “hit-and-run,” or “take a pitch.” By rule, the third-base coach must stay within the designated coach’s box on the third-base side of home plate prior to each pitch. The coach may leave said box to signal a player once a ball is in play, provided the coach does not interfere with the play.”

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“Additionally, the third-base coach is responsible for advising baserunners on whether to stop at second and third base or to continue running home. He must know the speed of each runner, the location of the batted ball and the arm strength and accuracy of a fielder who is in the process of fielding the ball. Third-base coaches must act decisively and do so in the blink of an eye, as they often have just a second or two to decide whether to send a runner past third base in an attempt to score.”

What to Expect ?

It will be expected that Nevin will have surgery on his right shoulder from all of the “waiving home” that he will be doing this season. Phil has a close relationship with Aaron Boone and it is this relationship along with bench coach Josh Bard that Boone will lead on.

Getting to Know Your Yankee First Base Coach: Reggie Willits

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Background:

Reggie Gene Willits (born May 30, 1981) is a former Major League outfielder. Willits was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 2003. He played for the Angels for five seasons from 2006 through 2011. After the 2011 campaign, Willits was Designated for Assignment (DFA’d).

In 2013, after his Major League career had come to an end Willits became the head baseball coach for the Binger-Oney High School baseball team.

In 2015, Reggie Willits joined the New York Yankees‘ organization as their outfield and base-running coordinator. This season after the hiring of Aaron Boone as Manager, Willits was promoted to first base coach for the 2018 season.

First Base Coach ? What Does He Do ?

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According to the MLB.com Glossary the definition of what the First Base Coach is:
“The first-base coach stands in foul ground, just behind the first-base bag, and helps relay signals from the dugout to both batters and baserunners. First-base coaches often assist baserunners in picking the appropriate time to steal a base and alert baserunners as pitchers attempt to retire them via a pickoff throw. By rule, the first-base coach must stay within the designated coach’s box on the first-base side of home plate prior to each pitch. The coach may leave said box to signal a player once a ball is in play, provided the coach does not interfere with the play.”

What to Expect ?

Just prior to the Winter Meetings, the yankees acquired the reigning National League MVP in Giancarlo Stanton, adding another power hitter to an outfield that already had Aaron Judge. Willits was called upon as outfield coach to work with both Stanton and Judge on potentially playing Left Field in the Bronx. Left Field at Yankee Stadium is not an easy position no matter how easy Brett Gardner makes it look.

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As the First Base coach, Willits will help players when they get on first base in regards to taking leads on the base paths. He also guides them as to who to steal a base on and when to get back on a pickoff attempt. In Willits’ only full season as a player he had 27 steals in 35 attempts. The Yankees have a wealth of power but also some guys like Brett Gardner and Tyler Wade among others who will be called upon to swipe a base or two throughout the season. Willits is the man who they will turn to.

Getting to Know Your New York Yankees Bullpen Coach: Mike Harkey

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Background:

Michael Anthony Harkey (born October 25, 1966) is a former Major League starting pitcher. Harkey pitched from 1988 through 1997 for the Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics, the then California Angels (now Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), and Los Angeles Dodgers .

Mike Harkey was a part of the Florida Marlins coaching staff in 2006. Then “Hark” joined the New York Yankees from 2008 through 2013, before joining the Arizona Diamondbacks. Harkey coached in 2014 and 2015. This was before coming back to the New York Yankees prior to the 2016 season.

When new Yankee Manager Aaron Boone was brought aboard in December, Boone said one of his first calls was to Mike Harkey asking if he would stay aboard as the bullpen coach and Hark agreed.

 

Bullpen Coach ? What Does He Do ?

According to the MLB.com Glossary the definition of what a Bullpen Coach is:
“The bullpen coach works with pitchers in a similar capacity to the pitching coach before and after games. During a game, the bullpen coach is in the bullpen with his club’s relief pitchers and oversees their warmups, while also offering advice on pitching mechanics and pitch selection. “

What to Expect:

A good bullpen coach is an extension of not just the pitching coach but of also the manager. They can provide useful details that can be make or break during a game and throughout the season. When players trust that their coaches have the team along with their best interest at heart and in mind they will play better. And Harkey is a guy that this pitching staff trust.

Getting To Know Your New York Yankees Manager: Aaron Boone

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New York Yankees, Aaron boone

Background:

Aaron John Boone (born March 9, 1973) is a former professional baseball third baseman, broadcaster and the current manager of the New York Yankees. He is the son of Bob Boone, grandson of Ray Boone, and the brother of Bret Boone.

Boone played in the Majors for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Florida Marlins, Washington Nationals, and Houston Astros from 1997 through 2009. He was an All-Star in 2003, and most notably hit the ALCS winning walk-off home run off of Knuckleballer, Tim Wakefield.

From 2010 to 2017, Boone was employed by ESPN as a game analyst and a color commentator for ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball coverage, as well as a contributor to Baseball Tonight.

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New Gig:

In December 2017, the Yankees hired Boone to become the 33rd manager in franchise history. This will be Boone’s first managerial job in baseball ever, having never managed anywhere in professional baseball. However, as Spring Training has gone on there has only been positive reviews about Aaron and his encouraging nature with all the players in camp.

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Legacy:

Aaron Boone hit one of the biggest homeruns in Yankees Post-Season history and there’s no denying that definitely aided in his quest to become the Yankees manager. However his legacy with the New York Yankees will be what he does as a manager. Like Joe Torre and Joe Girardi before him, the only thing that will form his legacy is winning the World Series.