The Yankees and Rangers open their series Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium, but the most intriguing matchup might not be between lineups or bullpens; it's in the dugouts. For the first time, Aaron Boone will manage against the team where his older brother Bret, is a hitting coach.
And yes, there’s already a little brotherly shade in the air.
Aaron, the Yankees’ skipper since 2018, is New York’s all-time leader in managerial ejections. They discussed the difference in their on-field personalities on the latest episode of Bret Boone’s podcast.
“There are still guys umpiring now that were around when I played,” Bret said. “If I’ve got a guy on the crew who remembers, they’ll say, ‘That’s the good Boone. He doesn’t get thrown out of games. Don’t worry about him.’”
Then came the kicker.
“Aaron was always the well-mannered good guy,” he added. “And I was the cocky one — you media guys used to say it all the time. But I didn’t get tossed. Aaron did. Now I’m the nice Boone, and he’s the mean one.”
The comment was tongue-in-cheek, but there’s some truth to it.
Off the field, Aaron Boone is truly the ultimate middle child. He plays the peacemaker; he goes out of his way to make people feel welcome and comfortable. On the field, it’s a little different. As a manager, he has become known for his fiery dugout presence, famously defending his players with animated tirades. Aaron Boone is the Yankees' all-time leader in manager ejections with 41.
Bret enters the coaching world with something to prove and a fresh slate.
“Let’s see how nice I am as time goes on,” Bret quipped.
Whether or not this week sparks any actual fireworks, the Boone family will be watching closely. Their parents will be watching at home in California, with mother Sue telling USA Today’s Bob Nightengale:
“I want to see the Rangers get a whole lot of hits because of Bret,” she told USA Today with a knowing smile. “But the Yankees win because of Aaron.”
And she probably would like to see both her boys behave and stay in the game.
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