LEADERSHIP 101: HOW NOT TO BE AARON BOONE

Let’s talk about leadership for a second. Not just in theory, but in practice. What makes a good leader? Integrity. Communication. Accountability. The ability to inspire and adapt. A good leader knows when to push, when to pull, and when to look in the mirror and fix what’s broken. They don’t hide from problems—they solve them.

Now, what makes a good leader when the pressures on? That’s when you separate the real ones from the phonies. A true leader stays calm in the chaos. They own the moment, rally the troops, and make the hard calls and doesn't play favorites. They communicate clearly, build trust, and keep the mission in focus. They don’t fold. They don’t blame. And they sure as hell don’t flail around pretending everything’s fine.

So let me ask you—where in that definition do you find Aaron Boone?

Answer: you don’t.

The Yankees just blew another game to the Toronto Blue Jays, and this one was a clinic in mismanagement. The Jays dropped seven runs in the first inning, had an 8–0 lead by the third, and still somehow the Yankees clawed their way back to tie it at nine—only to promptly blow it again in the eighth. Toronto wins 11–9, and now the Yanks have coughed up first place in the AL East heading into the All-Star break.

And honestly? No one should be surprised.

The Yankees have lost 13 of their last 19. June was a disaster. The bats disappeared. The infield defense was a horror show. And the dugout? That’s where leadership goes to die.

Aaron Boone has spent the season second-guessing himself, mismanaging lineups, coddling boy toys, and throwing players under the bus when it's convenient like Jazz Chisholm. He plays favorites like he’s managing a high school team. When Anthony Volpe makes two key misplays in a 5–4 loss? Boone shrugs and calls it “aggressive.” But when Jazz Chisholm has a rough outing after being forced into third base—something he doesn’t even play—Boone basically pins the entire 12–5 loss on him. Spoiler: it wasn’t Jazz. It was the lifeless offense. But Boone needed a fall guy.

That’s not leadership. That’s deflection. That’s cowardice.

I manage a team of 15 people in real life. And I live by the core principles of leadership every single day. I revisit that list often—communication, self-awareness, consistency, decisiveness, empathy—because that’s how you keep a team aligned. When we hit tough spots, I don’t point fingers. I regroup, re-strategize, and get my people refocused. That’s what a good leader does. It's my freaking job.

Meanwhile, Boone can’t keep a lineup steady for 72 hours.

And where’s Brian Cashman in all this? Quiet. Detached. Staring at an infield that’s been a glaring problem since April and doing absolutely nothing about it. Leadership isn’t ignoring the fire until the house burns down. It’s recognizing smoke and putting it out before it spreads. Cashman’s approach has been more like roasting marshmallows in the flames.

And Hal Steinbrenner? Please. He’s not changing a thing. The seats are full. The merch is flying. The money’s rolling in. Boone could fall asleep on the dugout steps, and they’d still extend him if the quarterly profits look good.

But here’s the truth real Yankee fans know: this team is wasting talent. It’s wasting time. And it’s wasting the window to win.

Leadership matters. Especially under pressure. And right now, the Yankees don’t have a leader—they have a placeholder. Boone may wear the title, but he doesn’t own the job.

This team won’t win anything until the front office figures that out.

And if they don’t? Buckle up. The spiral’s just beginning.