It was supposed to be a statement game—a chance to flip the script, quiet down the critics, and finally show some fire. However, Monday night in Toronto more or less brought that same old energy for the New York Yankees—a sloppy defense, minimal offense, and another addition in the L column. And the critics this time didn’t hold back. They questioned not just players but the team for their efforts or lack thereof!

The consensus among fans was that maybe the Yankees think enough games are still left. So let’s take it slow. However, Aaron Boone turned out to push back hard on this narrative.

The Yankees manager, who is usually calm and composed, reached his boiling point during his appearance on Jomboy’s Talkin’ Yanks podcast. After watching the team fall 4-1 to the Blue Jays, New York’s fifth straight loss against an AL East rival, Boone came out swinging. Not just at his players, but at the media narrative that is accusing his team of lacking passion.

Boone snapped, saying, “Understand the pestering, bantering, leading questions that are being asked of our guys. And I don’t want them to just fly off the handle and be emotional. We’ve been pretty good over the years of compartmentalizing and dealing with the everyday grind of the regular season and playing in New York, and you start getting emotional and going down that road, it’s a bad trait.”

Boone was especially annoyed with the idea that if players don’t look angry, they probably don’t care. And also, it’s a double-edged sword, is it not? Weaver’s media interaction has caused plenty to talk about anyway.

Boone mentioned, “You’re cherry-picking the answers you like; you’re like, ‘Yeah, that’s tugging at my fandom in the right way.’ Sorry, they’re not robots.” And when Jomboy pushed back and suggested he wanted emotional answers, Boone was clear, saying, “I don’t care what you want.”

Now it’s been a rough stretch for the New York Yankees. Peraza and Volpe’s throwing errors in the fifth helped Toronto pull away, but the loss pushed them four games back in the division. It’s the season’s worst gap for them. Boone may want to protect his players, but fans are growing restless. However, Boone doesn’t care—he is still going to be there for his guys, it seems—as he came swinging for Volpe too!

Aaron Boone defends Anthony Volpe even after his costly error in Toronto

Imagine making an error as a shortstop on another routine grounder. Seems strange, doesn’t it? After all, they have done the same thing a hundred times without flinching. But on Monday night in Toronto, that routine play turned into a heartbreaker. And Anthony Volpe was at the center of the storm.

The game was still in Yankee range in the fifth inning; Rodon was grinding through a tough outing with two outs and a runner on second. They were trailing 3-1 but not out of it. But then came Leo Jimenez’s bat.

Volpe scooped it clean and launched a wild throw to first. The ball simply soared, the runs were scored, and just like that, Toronto was up 4-1. Rodon was stunned, and so was Volpe. It was not a bad play; it was a nail in the coffin for the game and couldn’t have come at a worse time than this.

But still, Aaron Boone couldn’t hear anything bad about Volpe’s errors. “Some plays have created a negative narrative around Anthony Volpe’s defense this season. He’s still a top-level shortstop.” Well, that’s what managers do—protect their players. But Boone has been at it nonstop, and fans have started to get irked. And this favoritism has raised eyebrows!

Now, fans too feel that Boone needs to see what everyone is seeing: The cold bats, the bad execution, and also the missed chances. This is not meant for October games. The Yankees cannot afford another miscue. Another loss or two and a Red Sox win or two, and they could be third in the division.

It’s time to be tough and push through…