The New York Yankees were eliminated by the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series, and fans are questioning whether Aaron Boone is the right man to lead the team.
Under Boone, the Yankees have not won the World Series, have lost in the American League Championship Series twice, lost in the ALDS three times, lost in the American League Wild Card Series once and missed the postseason once. The expectations for the Yankees are high, and after another year of failure, Boone was asked if he expects to be back.
"Yeah, of course," Boone said when asked if he wants to and expects to be back. "Again, that's for another day. Right now is about trying to reflect on this, and trying to connect with guys as much as I can. Appreciative of a lot of things, but those conversations and things are for another day."
Boone has one year left on his contract, and if he were fired, he would seemingly be able to find a new job fairly easily. He is a successful manager, but the reality is that success in the Bronx is measured differently.
Making the postseason is not enough, and fans want to see another World Series. This year, Boone managed much of the season without his best player, but he did not use it as an excuse in his assessment of the season.
He acknowledged that Aaron Judge was absent, but that the Yankees were without him for most of the season and knew it was possible to win games without him. Boone can be criticized for lineup decisions, bullpen usage and deploying pinch hitters. However, the bottom line is that the players on the field need to execute better.