Ex-MLB President Slams Yankees Veteran for Casting Doubt on Aaron Boone’s Loyalty to His Son

The Yankees are clinging to their postseason hopes with a 76-61 record. But manager Aaron Boone grabbed headlines for something that had nothing to do with baseball. Well, on the team’s day off before facing a week-long load, Boone made a trip down to Chapel Hill to watch North Carolina’s season opener against TCU. But amid the baseball season, Boone is in a football game?

Yes, because Boone wasn’t just there as a fan, though. His son Brandon works as a student assistant with the UNC football staff, so it was more about showing support for family. But once cameras caught Boone in the crowd, it sparked a wave of criticism over where his focus should be amid the Yankees’ tight playoff race. And one of the loudest voices came from his former player, Clint Frazier: “Biggest two-week stretch of the season and this dude is at a football game with his hoodie tied around his waist.”

But plenty of others quickly pushed back on the outrage, including a former MLB president, who defended Boone’s choice.

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Well, after that one day off, the Yankees are diving right back into the fire, starting with the Astros. From there, things surely don’t get any easier, as they’ll see the Blue Jays, Tigers, and Red Sox, all teams that have dominated the Yankees so far this season. In other words, it’s shaping up to be a brutal stretch.

So, everyone in the game understands the importance of family. But when a team’s struggling, those personal choices tend to get magnified. That’s why Frazier’s point about this being the most important two weeks of the Yankees’ season is hard to argue with. But the irony is, they just spent the past week taking care of business against weaker opponents (Nationals and White Sox). Thus, they clawed their way back into the mix for first place.

A tough time ahead for the Yankees

For the unversed, the Yankees are 7-3 in their last 10. But that stretch includes a loss to the Red Sox and wins over weaker teams like the Nationals and White Sox. So, you can see the difference. And now comes the real test.

Now, after facing the Astros, New York will head home to play the Blue Jays. They are 2.5 games ahead of the Yankees in the AL East. Then it’s three with the Tigers, owners of the best record in the league. And followed by three more with the Red Sox. As of Tuesday, the Yankees and Red Sox are basically tied for second place, with New York just barely ahead on percentage points.

The issue? The Yankees haven’t shown they can consistently beat the teams they need to. They’re 76-61 overall, but just 17-22 against the division and 38-39 against winning clubs. So yes, on paper, they’re only 2.5 games back of Toronto, but this upcoming stretch is brutal. And if things start to go south, you can bet Boone’s personal commitments will be the first thing people point to.