Yes, the All-Star Game is technically an exhibition. A midseason spectacle meant to celebrate the sport’s brightest stars, offer fans a show, and give players a breather from the grind of 162 games. But while it doesn’t affect the standings and doesn’t shift playoff odds, the stakes are never entirely absent, especially when you’re representing a market like New York. Ask the Yankees manager, Aaron Boone, who is also managing the AL in the All-Star Game. The scrutiny on him is only intensifying.

With the Yankees mired in a prolonged slump and recently slipping out of first place in the AL East, Boone’s every move is being dissected. He was awarded the AL managerial position, but the scrutiny followed him to Atlanta. What should have been a moment of personal prestige quickly turned into another chapter of second-guessing and fan frustration. Exhibition or not, when you wear pinstripes or manage them, the spotlight never dims.

NL’s Pete Alonso just took a hit off the AL’s Kris Bubic and left Boone’s gamble wide open.”What the hell was Boone thinking bringing in Bubic!! Guy has no feel for the game,” WFAN host Chris McMonigle ranted on his X handle. But, why is there so much noise about placing Bubic in the game, when his 2.48 ERA this season ranks sixth in the American League?

Well, Bubic’s All-Star ERA currently stands at 81! Yes, you heard that right. Well, the sample is too small to evaluate anyway, but not everyone is convinced about Boone placing Bubic against Pete Alonso. That too, with runners on and no outs during the sixth inning, when the NL was leading 2-0.

The outcome? A swanky and fully swinging hit by Alonso that turned out to be a 3-run homer and extended the NL’s lead to 5-0. Expectedly, Boone is facing the music now. Fans are left wondering how the skipper could place a less experienced All‑Star like Bubic in such a high-leverage moment against a power hitter like Alonso. Surely, it shifted the momentum and perhaps cost AL the game.

Fans are calling out Aaron Boone

Bubic missed out on the clutch play and gifted Alonso a commanding hit, prompting the fans to blame Boone. “That’s why they won’t ever win anything with him,” read a comment. While it’s a brutal take on Boone, you can see where the fan is coming from. Since Boone took over the Yankees in 2018, the team has gone to the postseason 6 times. While that’s an achievement, Boone has failed to capitalize on the postseason opportunities. The Yankees have won 3 AL East Division titles under Boone, but no World Series.

“This AL offense is like watching the Yankee offense. It’s all or nothing, and Nobody hits. Predictable and boring,” wrote another fan. Just check the scorecard of tonight’s All-Star game, and you will know why. AL scored 6 runs in the game, and only Brent Rooker got a home run. The rest of it was more like the recent version of the Yankees. For instance, Jazz Chisholm got no hits and runs from 3 at-bats! So, did Boone lead the AL team like the Yankees?

“Not that it matters, but Bubic may have just cost the AL the game,” one more X user chimed in. Well, yes, Alonso’s hit against Bubic might be the turning point of the game. Bubic’s pitch looked like a curveball to begin with, but ended up in the sweet spot of Alonso’s bat, and he sent it soaring.

“Lol – Don’t blame Boone! This damn all-star team just doesn’t have the players! Same thing every year!” read another comment. Now, that’s a point. There have been plenty of debates and discussions about the selection process of the All-Star game. Should it be based on a minimum representation from all teams, or should it be only about the best on show?

“Who cares.. It’s a meaningless game lol,” a fan wrote. Well, that’s pretty correct. A player can’t be judged based on an exhibition, especially someone like Kris Bubic, who has a 2.48 ERA this year. But as far as Boone is concerned, he will now return to the Bronx with a task in hand. If he misses out on the postseason accolades again, it will just fuel the narrative even further that the Yankees can’t win with Boone.