WHEN REGGIE MET THURMAN

There are teammates who become friends immediately.

Then there were Thurman Munson and Reggie Jackson.

When Reggie arrived in the Bronx before the 1977 season, the Yankees were already Munson’s team. Thurman was the captain, the reigning American League MVP, and the heartbeat of a club that had just gone to the World Series. Reggie arrived as something entirely different.

He was the superstar free-agent signing. He was outspoken. He was confident. He was controversial. And most importantly, he wasn't interested in quietly blending into the wallpaper. In other words, George Steinbrenner had just thrown another stick of dynamite into a clubhouse that already had Billy Martin walking around with a match.

And then came the quote.

In a 1977 Sport magazine article, Jackson was famously quoted describing himself as “the straw that stirs the drink,” while suggesting Munson could only stir it bad.

Whether Reggie believed he was quoted accurately or not almost didn't matter. The words were in print. Munson read them. And the captain was furious. This wasn't some anonymous teammate Jackson had taken a shot at. Munson had spent his entire major-league career with the Yankees. He had caught countless games on battered knees, taken foul balls off every imaginable body part and helped drag New York back to the World Series in 1976.

Then the new guy showed up and, before he'd accomplished anything in pinstripes, appeared to tell the world whose team it was.

That went over about as well as you'd expect.

Welcome to the Yankees, Reggie. Meet Thurman.

The relationship became one of the many soap operas surrounding the 1977 Yankees. Jackson battled with Martin. Munson resented the attention surrounding Jackson. The clubhouse had factions. Steinbrenner hovered over everything.

Yet something strange happened while everybody was waiting for the Yankees to implode. They won, and winning has a funny way of forcing two great players to recognize something they may not particularly want to admit:

I need that guy.

Munson could look beyond Reggie's personality and see an enormously talented baseball player who could help the Yankees win championships. Jackson could look beyond Thurman's hostility and understand why that clubhouse followed its captain. Their personalities were completely different, but their objective wasn't.

There are stories of the two finally clearing the air, including a memorable conversation in a sauna. It didn't magically turn them into childhood buddies. This wasn't a Hollywood movie where the music swelled and suddenly Reggie and Thurman skipped into Yankee Stadium holding hands.

It was something more believable. They developed respect. And for two intensely competitive men, respect probably meant more than friendship anyway.

Munson saw Jackson deliver when the Yankees needed him most. Reggie saw exactly what made Munson the captain—the toughness, the leadership and the willingness to play hurt without asking anybody to feel sorry for him.

By the time Jackson earned the name “Mr. October” with his three-home-run performance in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series, there wasn't much left to debate about whether Reggie belonged in New York. And Munson didn't need Jackson's approval to prove who he was either.

Thurman had already earned the Bronx. Their relationship continued to evolve. Jackson reportedly even flew with Munson in Thurman's plane, and accounts over the years have described Reggie affectionately referring to Munson as “Coach.” Think about how remarkable that is considering where these two started.

From a newspaper quote that nearly poisoned the clubhouse to two men eventually understanding each other. Not perfectly. Not sentimentally. But genuinely.

Then came August 2, 1979. Munson was killed while practicing takeoffs and landings in his Cessna Citation near Canton, Ohio. He was only 32.

Suddenly all those arguments, headlines and clubhouse battles didn't seem very important anymore.

What remained was the respect.

And maybe that's the part of the Reggie Jackson–Thurman Munson story worth remembering most.

They didn't have to be best friends. They didn't even have to particularly like each other at first. They were two enormous personalities fighting for space inside the craziest baseball clubhouse in America. But somewhere between the arguments, the championships, the back pages and the October nights, they figured each other out.

Thurman was the captain. Reggie was Mr. October.

The Bronx was big enough for both of them. And in the end, they knew it. Rest in peace, Captain.

Thurman Munson — June 7, 1947 – August 2, 1979. Nearly five decades later, No. 15 still belongs to him.

-- Alvin Izzo
BYB Yankee History Contributor

BOONE'S BIGGEST FAILURE IS THE CULTURE HE CREATED

When the leader stops leading, is when the collapse happens. This is a historic fact.  I encourage you to read this. It will open your eyes allowing you to understand the hell us Yankee fans are in the middle of.

Winning organizations rarely implode because of one bad employee, one lazy player, or one unfortunate decision. They unravel when leadership stops leading. Whether it's a baseball clubhouse, a Fortune 500 company, a military unit, or the United States Congress, the pattern is remarkably similar. Standards begin to slip. Accountability disappears. Small problems become accepted behavior. Eventually, losing becomes the culture.

The old saying that "everything rises and falls on leadership" isn't just motivational fluff. History repeatedly demonstrates that organizations reflect the standards—or lack thereof—set by the person in charge.

This is a lesson worth reading.  Discipline and accountability is important. But it must come from the top. Every successful championship manager understands one fundamental truth: if the captain has to become the disciplinarian, Like Aaron Judge yesterday, the manager has already lost part of the clubhouse.

The manager, in this case Boone, needs to establish expectations. The players execute them. When those roles reverse, something has gone wrong.

One of the greatest examples came from Joe Torre with the Yankees dynasty. Torre wasn't known for screaming every day, but players understood where the line was. Veterans like Derek Jeter, Paul O'Neill, Jorge Posada and Bernie Williams never questioned who was running the clubhouse. Torre balanced personalities while holding everyone accountable. Players who didn't buy in didn't stay long.

Likewise, Bill Belichick built the New England Patriots on a brutally simple principle: "Do Your Job." It didn't matter if you were Tom Brady or the last player on the roster. Mental mistakes had consequences. Star status didn't exempt anyone from accountability.

Even fiery managers like Lou Piniella and Billy Martin understood that discipline wasn't optional. Their methods weren't always popular, but players never wondered who was in charge.

Contrast that with teams that spiral. Repeated defensive mistakes. Repeated mental errors. Repeated lack of hustle. Repeated public displays that would never be tolerated elsewhere. Those aren't isolated incidents. They're symptoms.

Believe me, don't believe me. Whatever. I'm right. Corporate history tells the exact same story. Look at Enron. Executives created a culture where ethical shortcuts became normalized. Financial manipulation went unchecked because leadership rewarded results instead of integrity. The company collapsed into one of America's largest corporate scandals, destroying thousands of jobs and billions in retirement savings.

Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf and Community Bank head Carrie Tolstedt

Remember Wells Fargo? Employees opened millions of unauthorized customer accounts to satisfy unrealistic sales goals. Executives ignored warning signs for years because the numbers looked good. The eventual scandal cost billions in fines, permanently damaged the company's reputation, and forced leadership changes.

Boeing. Following the two 737 MAX crashes, multiple investigations concluded that cultural failures and weakened oversight contributed to catastrophic decisions. Engineers raised concerns. Communication broke down. Production pressure often outweighed safety priorities. The consequences were devastating.

Different industries. Same pattern. Leadership tolerated behaviors until they became disasters. Now think about Boone and the Yankees.  No true leadership, coddling, making excuses, and zero accountability. Wow.

Think about Government. Congress often becomes mired in dysfunction when leadership cannot enforce discipline within its own caucus. Party leaders rely on consensus, negotiation and political pressure to keep members aligned, but when factions ignore leadership or refuse compromise, legislation stalls, deadlines are missed, government shutdown threats emerge, and public confidence erodes.

Leadership in politics isn't simply about giving speeches, or in Boone's case, word salading press conferences. It's about maintaining order among dozens—or hundreds—of competing personalities.

When that disappears, so does effectiveness. the bottom line is history shows that leadership matters. Military history reinforces the lesson.

During the Battle of Gettysburg, Union leadership under George G. Meade maintained cohesion under immense pressure despite facing repeated Confederate assaults. Command discipline and coordinated execution helped preserve Union lines during one of the Civil War's decisive battles.

By contrast, historians frequently cite failures of coordination and command in numerous military defeats throughout history, where unclear authority, inconsistent discipline, or commanders ignoring warning signs contributed to disastrous outcomes.

Organizations succeed when leaders establish standards that everyone understands—and enforce. Am I being dramatic? Maybe. But it all goes back to leadership... something the Yankees are lacking with Aaron Boone in charge.

When Aaron Judge was forced to speak to players and address the team's lack of focus following another embarrassing stretch, it sounded like a captain trying to do the manager's job. in fact, he WAS doing Boone's job, because Boone doesn't command respect.  In short, he has no balls.

Now look, captains absolutely should lead. They should encourage teammates. They should set examples. They should speak after losses. But when the captain has to become the disciplinarian, one uncomfortable question naturally follows:

Where is the manager?

Aaron Boone has repeatedly defended poor performances, minimized prolonged slumps, and continued writing the same struggling names into the lineup.

Anthony Volpe entered this recent eight-game stretch hitting just .194 (6-for-31).

Austin Wells was even worse, batting approximately .077 between June 24 and July 2.

Yet both continued receiving opportunities while the offense spiraled. Slumps happen. Every player goes through them. Managers are judged by how they respond. Sometimes leadership means showing confidence. Sometimes leadership means making difficult decisions. Sometimes leadership means sending a message that performance still matters. he coddles Volpe and Wells. They should NOT see the lineup, they are automatic outs.

If poor performance never changes playing time, accountability becomes difficult to see. Then there are the optics.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. casually eating a lollipop while playing on the field may strike some fans as harmless personality, while others see it as poor timing during a stretch of embarrassing baseball. Regardless of where one falls on that debate, strong leadership often recognizes when a team's public image no longer matches its performance. Teams enduring prolonged losing streaks generally benefit from projecting urgency rather than comfort.

The Yankees have committed an alarming number of defensive mistakes, repeatedly looked fundamentally unsound, and suffered through extended stretches of lifeless offense. Eventually, fans like me stop asking what's wrong with the players. They start asking who's allowing it. That's Aaron Boone.

Look, leadership isn't about being nice. The best leaders aren't necessarily the loudest. They aren't always the smartest. They're the ones willing to make uncomfortable decisions. Bench a struggling veteran. Call out lazy effort. Demand fundamentals. Protect the culture before protecting feelings.

Every successful organization eventually reaches the same conclusion:

Culture doesn't maintain itself.

Standards don't enforce themselves.

Winning doesn't happen accidentally.

Leadership drives all three.

When players continually repeat the same mistakes, when accountability appears absent, when the captain feels compelled to deliver the message that usually comes from the manager, and when losing becomes expected instead of unacceptable, criticism naturally shifts away from the roster and toward the person responsible for leading it.

History has shown this in sports, business and government. Leadership either sets the standard—or allows the standard to disappear.

Hey Hal, are you paying attention? This manager is driving this team into the dirt. He's a loser.

BLOW ONE LAST KISS GOODBYE WITH YOUR BLOW POP, JAZZ!

I'm just over it! I mean all of it. Jazz Chisholm is a trainwreck. He's a circus side show that's nothing but a distraction and a disappointment. Then there is that pathetic excuse of a manager in Aaron Boone. This team is nothing but a laughing stock. 

It's bad enough we just dropped a series to the Cincinnati Reds, now we have another embarrassing follow up with Jazz playing second base with a blow pop in his mouth on Monday, and then flaunting it in the dugout again on Tuesday, read more HERE. Oh wait, that's after there was confusion of whether it was a blow pop or a piece of gum because there was a can of Dubble Bubble. Is this really what the New York Yankees have become?

I guess so. Jazz doesn't care. I mean we are talking about the guy who doesn't understand basic rules in baseball. He did botch a play in April with one out and the bases loaded in a tie game that cost himself a chance at a tag-and-throw double play. Then he admitted he didn't know the basic rule and Trent Grisham had to jump in and try to save him in front of the media, read WHEN JAZZ'S BLUNDER ISN'T ENOUGH - BOONE MAKES IT WORSE! I thought that was bad enough, especially when he thinks he is worth $35 million a year for his next contract!

So should I really be surprised that the clown had a blow pop in his mouth as his team is LOSING a game? No. I'm not surprised....but I am PISSED! Who the hell does this? Someone who doesn't give a sh*t that's who. Meanwhile, Baboonie claims he is pissed but who really buys that? He's soft and doesn't hold his players accountable. He's more like an emotional support puppy than he is a manager of a storied franchise trying to get back to winning a championship.

But really, how can Boone be pissed after he admits he didn't even see Jazz with the lollipop in his mouth on Monday? I think Baboonie is a braindead bonehead and I'm sure he's oblivious to many things in his small world....but how do you miss THAT? He claims he did. Only a completely absentee manager misses that and then admits he didn't even see it. He's a bigger dumbass than I thought he was and that's saying A LOT.

Where is the leadership on this team? The manager is clueless and doesn't hold his players accountable. All he can do is coddle them and be their friend. What I wouldn't give for Billy Martin to whip these guys into shape right now. The manager is useless, Captain Aaron Judge is sidelined, and mediocrity rules the world as long as Hal Steinbrenner's pockets remain full of cash. This just isn't how a team should be run!

Jazz is a disgrace to this team. This isn't going to be his last blunder either, there will be others if the Yankees stupidly decide to keep him around the rest of the season. This guy is a detriment to the team and the franchise and the sooner he's gone the sooner I can't stop writing these stupid stories about both of these clowns!

I'm over all of it. It's time for Jazz to go away and it's time for the Yankees to grow a brain and get rid of their dumbass manager too! Take your Blow Pops with you, Jazz!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

IF THE YANKEES DON'T FIRE HIM, BOONE NEEDS TO WALK AWAY!

Let’s start with a truth bomb wrapped in pinstripes and frustration: Aaron Boone has to go. This is not a hot take. This is a baseball fan’s plea, born from years of empty promises, hollow pressers, and the slow, joyless decay of a team that used to breathe fire under the Bronx lights.

Yes, Boone owns a .581 winning percentage across eight seasons. And yes, that’s the fourth-best among active managers. But guess what? That number is as empty as the Yankees’ trophy case since he took over. A good regular season record doesn’t mean squat when your October resume reads like a disappointment reel. Ask any real Yankee fan—Boone doesn’t lead this team. He babysits it.

Boone’s relationship with his players feels more like a group therapy circle than a baseball team. He coddles. He protects. He nods empathetically when guys boot grounders or forget the number of outs. When Jazz Chisholm Jr. made a brutal baserunning mistake, Boone publicly called it “aggressive baseball.” Privately, according to Athlon Sports, he admitted it was dumb. You know what that is? Cowardice with a side of sugar-coating.

Leadership means calling out nonsense when you see it—not whispering it behind closed doors like you’re afraid of hurting feelings. Boone leads like a middle school vice principal who just wants everyone to get along and eat their orange slices at snack time.

Baseball isn’t a spreadsheet. It’s instinct, pulse, momentum. I caught something the night of August 4th when the Yankees lost 8-5.  During the game, David Cone set of Aaron's brother Bret Boone and I'm paraphrasing, that Bret wasn't the type that used an iPad to go over baseball players and techniques. Cone suggested that Bret Boone goes by gut and feel and "that's why Bruce Bochy" swept him up.  In other words, that's why Bret coaches with Bochy... cause he's smart.  Cone can't talk trash about Aaron Boone in public, but I can guarantee you that was a subtle shot at Aaron Boone because he doesn't use his gut. 

He and the Yankee cronies in the front office us iPads and projection analytics.  That's how I interpreted it. I could be wrong, but that's how I feel. Boone clings to analytics like they’re the Rosetta Stone. He’ll pull a pitcher who’s shoving because the iPad says so, only to put in some reliever who last pitched during the Paleozoic Era. You’re left wondering if Boone is managing the Yankees or simming a game on MLB The Show with auto-manage turned on.

Let’s not dance around it—this team forgets how to bunt, move runners, or even play heads-up baseball. And that’s on Boone and his staff. We’ve seen more cohesive strategy in beer league softball games. 

You think Billy Martin would’ve let this slide? Earl Weaver? Heck, even Joe Girardi would’ve flipped a table by now.  Under Boone’s watch, talent rots and hustle dies. The Yankees can go from world-beaters to bottom-feeders over the course of a single series. They’re not bad because they lack skill. They’re bad because they lack urgency. And urgency starts at the top.

Here’s the cherry on top of this stale sundae: Boone has had a Cy Young winner and an MVP on the roster. And what does he have to show for it? A 22-23 postseason record and not a single World Series appearance. That’s a historic waste of firepower. He’s the first Yankee manager to hold both of those trophies on his roster and still be home in November. That should be a felony in the Bronx.

Even as the Yankees stumble and bumble, you’ve got the usual suspects running interference for Boone. Michael Kay, for one, seems to think Boone is just misunderstood. Why do fans hate him so much, he wonders?

Gee, Mikey—maybe it’s because the Yankees have been underachieving for years, and you’re more concerned about keeping your YES Network paycheck than speaking the truth! And that IS the truth! Kay will never talk about of turn against Boone... because he doesn't have balls. So what does he do? He picks on the fans. 

On the other end, you’ve got Evan Roberts on WFAN telling it like it is—Boone needs to go now. Finally, someone with a mic and a pulse. That God someone else is calling for Boone's firing that Bleeding Yankee Blue.

And so, if the Yankees won't fire Boone. Maybe Boone needs to look in the mirror and recognize that maybe he needs to walk away from the team.  Even in the loss to the Rangers tonight. Boone has Mark Leiter and Dave Bednar up in the pen and Williams pitching to Tellez with the bases loaded. He had an opportunity to take out Williams, but he froze.  Well, Williams pitched and gave up 2 runs. Is it Williams fault? Negative. It's the manager's fault for not reacting and not using his gut. He thought with his stupid iPad.  

I often think about the Ted Williams blueprint.  In 1969, Ted Williams took over the lowly Washington Senators and dragged them to 86 wins, earning AL Manager of the Year. But when things soured and his team nosedived into a 54-100 record in 1972 and they became the Texas Rangers, Williams didn’t hang around like a barnacle. He left. No fuss, no delusion, just dignity. He understood... the leader of the club, him, wasn't doing his job. Ted Williams had the self-awareness to walk away when he knew he wasn’t helping. Boone? He’s clinging to this gig like it’s the last churro at a ballpark stand.

Look, after tonight's loss and just awful managing once again, Aaron Boone must know it's time. Either he needs to be fired, or he needs to walk away.  You don’t need to wait for Hal Steinbrenner to grow a spine or for Brian Cashman to stop rearranging the bullpen like it's fantasy camp. Do what’s right. You’ve lost the clubhouse. You’ve lost the fans. You’ve lost total control and much like I've been preaching here since 2020... you're a terrible leader. You manage in fear.

Just leave. Because leadership isn’t about buddy-buddy relationships. It’s about winning, demanding greatness, and knowing when the team needs something different. And the Yankees, right now, need something very different. So go Boone... go away.

EVEN YANKEE LEGENDS BURY BOONE IN CRITICISM!

When former Yankees turn on Aaron Boone, you know it's bad. Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez no longer wear pinstripes, but their opinions about the state of the team still matter. Beyond that.... they are also true. It's one thing when we as fans share our opinions, but when they share the same sentiments, it can't be overlooked.

Two pivotal Yankee players are just as unsatisfied with the state of this team as we are. ARod and Jeter did not mince words; you can check out what they had to say on Saturday night’s Speedway Classic HERE. It's about time that players who know the expectations finally echo the same sentiments we have. 

"They make way too many mistakes," Jeter said. "And you can't get away with making that number of mistakes against great teams. It just doesn't happen. They had baserunning mistakes today – you saw [Trent Grisham] getting thrown out at home plate. You can't continue to do it. You have to clean it up."

Fundamentals are non-existent with this team. We saw it with Jazz Chisholm Jr and Austin Wells again in embarrassing fashion. Obviously, the coaches don't reinforce fundamentals during Spring Training and the players can't retain them or don't seem to care. Honestly, by this point these guys should have fundamentals, they shouldn't have to be taught from scratch. At the same time, the coaches should recognize their weaknesses and be able to help coach players through these moments and get them back to standard.... but they can't. The players can't execute, and the coaches can't teach. It's an epic failure no matter how you look at it.

And when there's a pattern, the manager needs to step in and fix it. He needs to hold his players accountable and that's what ARod was saying, "If any one of us made a mistake, we would be sitting our butt right on the bench," Rodriguez said. "I see mistake after mistake, and there's no consequences."

And we all know he's not wrong. Baboonie coddles his players, and we just have Deja vu moments constantly. We've had them for EIGHT years now. His so-called management style doesn't work, but he is of course ready to try and run defense after hearing what ARod and Jeter had to say.

"I would disagree a little bit with the accountability factor, but the reality is, we're focused every day on being the best we can be," Boone said. "That's how we have to do it. But I understand when it doesn't happen, or we don't have the record that I think we should have, or certainly people think we should have – that comes with the territory."

There's something else that USED to come with the territory too....and that was getting canned when a manager failed. Billy Martin was fired and rehired FIVE times by George Steinbrenner. Baboonie has been here for too long, and the writing is on the wall that his leadership is not bringing a championship back to the Bronx. 

ARod and Jeter can see it. WE see it, but as long as Hal Steinbrenner makes a profit, he's not gonna care. He's still making money. So, what's it going to take to get rid of this clown?

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

MICHAEL KAY DOESN'T GET TO TELL US HOW TO FEEL AS YANKEE FANS

I don't need to be reprimanded by Michael Kay about how us fans should feel about how good Anthony Volpe should be.  He is so short sided in this clip and he clearly misremembers the hype surrounding Volpe. And for him to sit there and suggest that the shortstop doesn't have to be the best player and compare Anthony Volpe to Bucky Dent "doesn't mean anything to me.  For one, it starts with the manager and at the time it was Billy Martin.  You can't try to even compare Boone to Martin because you'd be wrong. Two... Volpe isn't a good player. Simply use the eye test... he isn't a great player under pressure and he sure as hell won't be a franchise favorite for the New York Yankees as we move forward in our fandom.

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The best part? We're fans. We can feel however the hell we want.  Michael Kay doesn't get to tell us we're wrong, in fact his grandfather motivation mentality might be the most tired exercise on the internet right now.  

Kay says "You're saying he should be Derek Jeter."  No, we didn't say that... the media planted it, and don't get me wrong, the Yankees loved it... especially when things are going good.  Here are some of the headlines and the quotes:

NJ.com (Feb. 08, 2022) 

Is Anthony Volpe the next Derek Jeter? Fellow Yankees prospect says hype is legit

“Yeah, I can definitely see he’s being compared to Jeter now", said Yankees pitching prospect Ken Waldichuk told NJ Advance Media in a recent interview.

NJ.com (January 26. 2024) 

Yankees greats make bold Anthony Volpe prediction

"As a matter of fact, I think Anthony is more polished than Jeter was at the same time." -- Willie Randolph

Essentially Sports (May 26, 2024)

The Next Derek Jeter? Anthony Volpe Nears Legendary New York Yankees Captain’s Hitting Record

"... there have been comparisons with Derek Jeter." --Sanskar Dubey, writer

And what I don't get about Michael Kay is the fact that his own peers started this comparison and yet Michael Kay has the balls to come after the casual or diehard fan and try and blame us? 

Here's my thoughts on this dude, plain and simple; Kay works for YES, which means he doesn’t just cover the Yankees — he works for them. So naturally, he can’t go scorched earth on Anthony Volpe, no matter how lackluster the kid’s been. He’s paid to keep the Yankee narrative clean, shiny, and uncontroversial. And this latest outburst? Peak corporate shill.

Kay went off on Instagram, throwing a tantrum defending Volpe like he’s Derek Jeter reincarnated, telling fans to “get ahold of yourselves” and practically calling Volpe a lock for 20 homers and 90 RBIs. First of all, those projections feel more like fan fiction than forecasting. But even if they were real — nobody's screaming about personal stats, Michael. We’re screaming because Volpe vanishes in key moments and plays like a ghost when games actually matter.

Kay’s next pearl of wisdom? “Do you not remember that he was the shortstop on the Yankees team that went to the World Series last year?” Yes, we remember — because we LOST. Since when is showing up and failing now a badge of honor? Did we lower the bar that much?

And don’t even get us started on the "hitting .250 is good enough" nonsense. First off, he's not batting .250. What crack is that take laced with? .250 used to get you benched in the Bronx. Now, thanks to Kay’s new analytics-lite, it gets you a gold star and a bouquet of excuses.

Then Kay — self-appointed moral authority of Yankees fandom — tells us to stop screaming that Volpe has to go. Um, excuse us? We pay to watch this team. We pay for seats, parking, hot dogs, overpriced beer — and the right to be frustrated when the shortstop of the future looks more like the shortstop of Trenton.

The truth is, Volpe's not it. Maybe he will be one day. But right now? There are better athletes sitting on the bench while we get nightly "just good enough" mediocrity. And Kay’s desperate spin-doctoring isn’t helping — it’s insulting.

Let’s call this what it is: Kay, doing his duty as the Yankees’ corporate hype man. His job isn’t to tell the truth. It’s to manage the fan temperature and protect the brand.  That ESPN New York post is masked as commentary, but it's really there to attempt to calm the waters and who better than Kay, the guy with a direct deposit from Steinbrenner HQ?

But here’s the rub, Michael: you don’t get to lecture fans. You don’t buy tickets. You don’t ride the 4 train or drive an hour and a half home in traffic after another lifeless Volpe night. We do. So don’t tell us how to feel. Don’t scold us for not falling in line with the company narrative. Fans have every right to want more. We’re not unreasonable — we’re just tired of being gaslit by people who get paid to smile and say, “It’s fine.” What happened to you, dude.

Kay, stop telling us how to think. We don’t like Volpe right now. And that’s okay. You can keep doing PR. We’ll keep telling the truth.

And for the record? Comparing Volpe to Bucky Dent? Please. Bucky won at least one World Series. Boone couldn’t manage a Little League team into a playoff. The only similarity is that both wear pinstripes — and lately, that's starting to mean less and less.

Do better, Michael. Or at least, stop pretending you're not reading from the Yankees’ script. Bad look, dude.

THERE ARE MUCH BETTER IN THE BUSINESS, ALEX CORA

I still can’t get over how absurd Alex Cora sounded when he suggested that Aaron Boone is "the best in the business." The best in the business? Are you kidding me? That has to be the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. That’s why I titled this article DUMB AND STUPID. Because that’s exactly what this statement is. If Boone is the best, then what does that make Bruce Bochy? Or Joe Torre? Prophets? Baseball gods? Maybe we should just start building shrines to them because, compared to Boone, they’re untouchable legends.

It’s as if Cora just pulled this shit out of thin air to make his buddy look good. But let’s be real—Boone sucks. He always has. And Cora, by making such a laughable statement, just proved he has no integrity. He’s out here playing PR manager instead of speaking facts, and I’m not buying it.

There was an interesting sentence, a take from ClutchPoints that bothered me when writing about Cora and Boone. They wrote, and I quote, "A lack of talent cannot fairly fall on the manager, but it often does." I mean, what? The Yankees have had plenty of talent for years. The problem isn’t a shortage of skilled players—it’s a manager who has no goddamn clue how to use them effectively.

I’ve been saying it for years—the Yankees weren’t going to win the World Series under Boone, and guess what? I am right so far. Sure, they made it further than I predicted last year, but that wasn’t because of Boone’s genius managerial skills. That was because of talent. The same talent that Boone consistently fails to utilize properly. When things get tough, when a manager has to make the hard calls like Boone, that’s when you separate the truly elite from the frauds and that's where Boone does not rise. That’s when the so-called "best in the business" proves their worth. And Boone? He fucking folds, literally every time.

If Boone were anything close to elite, he’d be able to maximize his team’s potential. He’d recognize strengths, adjust for weaknesses, and make the tough, smart decisions that lead to winning. But isn't managing, the front office is. Boone doesn’t have the guts, the intelligence, or the leadership ability to do it. Girardi did. Girardi won. Girardi wasn't asked back because Girardi had balls!  And so back to Boone... that’s why, after all these years, he still hasn’t won a single goddamn championship.

Look at the history of baseball—managers get fired for far less. Some are let go after missing the playoffs. Some lose their jobs after a 10-game losing streak. The reason? Because they fail to manage, lead, motivate, and problem-solve. Yet somehow, Boone continues to skate by doing the bare minimum. The Yankees have embraced mediocrity, and it’s embarrassing.

And let’s talk about that mediocrity for a second. It’s not just Boone—it’s the entire Yankees front office. This team used to have a standard. A fire. A demand for excellence. But now? Now it’s all about participation trophies and "we’ll get ‘em next year." This isn’t Little League. This is the New York Yankees, the team that built a dynasty on winning. And here we are, stuck with a manager who embodies the very definition of "just enough."

Alex Cora’s statement was complete nonsense. That's why everyone is writing about it today. But we here at Bleeding Yankee Blue are going to be the only Yankee fan site to be honest about it. It's stupid. And ClutchPoints wrote in their piece was wrong, love you guys, but it's not accurate. Talent matters, but what a manager does with that talent matters even more. If this were the 1980s, Boone would have been fired a long time ago. If George Steinbrenner were still around, Billy Martin would be back in the dugout replacing Boone because, say what you will about Billy, he knew how to lead. He wasn’t a puppet. Boone? He’s nothing but that. A puppet controlled by an organization that has lost its way.

So, before we start throwing around empty praise, let’s remember what baseball is really about. It’s not just about trying—it’s about winning. And as Derek Jeter once said if a team doesn’t win the championship, the entire season is a failure. 

Well, Yankees fans, we’ve had plenty of failures. And it all comes down to one thing—we have a failed leader as our manager. F Cora. F Boone.

COMPLACENCY & MEDIOCRITY WIN THE DAY WITH STOOGE BOONE'S EXTENSION!

We as the Yankees are no longer are the team of grit, passion and championships.  We the fans are just feeding the Yankee piggy bank because of successes of years past.

These days Hal Steinbrenner has become complacent, plain and simple. The Yankees are no longer a team obsessed with winning championships—they're a brand, a massive, money-printing empire where the past is more valuable than the present. The merchandise flies off the shelves, the memorabilia from the glory years keeps the cash registers ringing, and as long as the Yankees logo is still a global icon, actually winning? Well, that’s just a bonus, not a priority. That’s why Aaron Boone—the puppet, the king of empty October appearances—has been handed a contract extension through 2027.

Oh, you didn’t hear? The Yankees just announced this morning that they’re extending Boone for two more years beyond his current deal, which was set to expire after 2025. Why? Because mediocrity is now acceptable in the Bronx. Yes, Boone has a winning record, but since when did that make someone a great manager? MLB Trade Rumors tried to defend him, stating:

"Boone is a divisive figure in the fanbase but there’s a lot of good stuff on his track record. The Yanks have made the postseason in six of his seven seasons at the helm, with the aforementioned 2023 campaign being the lone exception. They have had some tough postseason losses but, as mentioned, just went to the World Series a few months ago. As skipper, he has a regular season record of 603-429, a .584 winning percentage."

Okay, and? So, Boone padding managerial wins is important? WTF. We've all gone soft.

Getting to the postseason and failing isn't an achievement—it’s just prolonging the inevitable. So Boone is what, the best loser in the league? Give me a break. The Yankees lost the World Series last year. Before that, they missed the playoffs entirely in 2023—the worst season in three decades. They’ve been second place in the AL East more often than not under Boone and have exactly one World Series appearance in his tenure.

But sure, "the manager isn’t responsible for that," right? Tell that to Billy Martin. Tell that to every manager who’s ever been fired after a bad season. The reality is Boone isn’t qualified, he isn’t good under pressure, and when the moment is biggest, he panics. Just ask Nestor Cortes and Freddie Freeman—Boone made one of the worst managerial decisions in World Series history, and it cost the Yankees everything in a must-win game.

Let’s be real: Boone is still here because Steinbrenner doesn’t care about winning, and Brian Cashman keeps feeding him nonsense. Cashman even had the nerve to say this, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch:

“I think that is a strength, that is a benefit. I know that if he wasn’t the Yankee manager, it would be a feeding frenzy for him to be a manager that’s coveted elsewhere, objectively. That’s how we see it.”

So, let me get this straight: the Yankees kept Boone not because he was the best option, but because they didn’t want another team to have him? That’s the logic now? That’s the standard in the Bronx? What an absolutely ridiculous take.

And let’s not forget the Yankees marketing machine still playing that 2003 Boone walk-off against Boston like it’s some iconic championship moment. Do they forget what happened after? The Yankees lost the World Series. That homer meant nothing. Just like Boone’s entire tenure.

Great managers are carried off the field. Why? Cause a good manager will LEAD YOU TO A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.  That has never happened to Aaron Boone and with the amount of talent around him... it should have happened at least twice by now. But the reason is simple... Boone is not a great manager.

This extension is a joke. I will apologize if—and only if—the Yankees win the World Series under Boone. But let’s be real: they won’t. Because Aaron Boone doesn’t have what it takes. Joe Torre won four rings and was let go. Joe Girardi won a championship and was cut loose. But Boone? Still here, with zero titles to his name. Why? Because Hal Steinbrenner doesn’t care about championships. The money is still rolling in, even if the Yankees keep coming up short.

Pathetic.

FORGET IT. THE YANKEES WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE FALL CLASSIC ANYWAY

Last night I cannot blame on Aaron Boone. Crazy right?

But as a whole, in the bonehead moves he has made, in our 4th place finish last year... in the way he over tinkers, befriends his players, argues balls and strikes in meaningless games, and just plain sucks as a manager because of his inexperience, and now because we have gotten to the World Series and lost it, it only makes sense that we say goodbye to this guy and turn the page on making the Yankee organization leadership brighter and better moving forward. This HAS to be the end of the Boone Era. The experiment didn't work... not even alittle bit! Hal, are you listening?

Look, the Yankees were never supposed to be in the World Series this year.  Let's not fool ourselves. The Yankees have been so inconsistent all season, so the idea of making it to the World Series was a gift.  Did I hope they won this year? Of course, but do I think they actually are the best team in baseball, nope.  I'm a realist, this Yankee team is deeply flawed.

The Yankees made a few minor offseason tweaks even though we all knew they needed better pitching and that was the priority.  We got Juan Soto instead. Now, don't get me wrong, Juan Soto was fantastic, I loved seeing him in pinstripes, but as I said then, we got this guy for one year, what happens if we DON'T win it all?  And here we are... we didn't win it all.  And so, what happens next?

For one, Juan Soto will be a free agent.  That's big.  Seems like we had one opportunity, and it was just now, and yet, we didn't win. And so, if he leaves, do you really think we have what it takes to try and win again? We were lucky to get to the World Series this year WITH Juan Soto. If Juan Soto leaves, you can forget our chances. And that is where you really need to go after our Yankees front office and lightweight manager Aaron Boone.

Leadership in any business is vital, and this guy just doesn't have what it takes to lead this Yankees team.  

It's been a long time since Boone has been in the driver's seat. Here's the problem; he doesn't know how to drive stick.  This isn't a team you just hand over to a JV coach and say, "Here, try and tinker with this." These are the New York Yankees. They are celebrities, personalities and they are wearing the pinstripes and so the stakes are much higher.  While many people didn't like Joe Torre taking over after Buck Showalter in the 90's, the one thing Joe Torre had was experience. He was a long-time player and a manager, and while not a successful manager, he understood the game and surrounded himself with wisdom. In other words, he had a plan.  

I see Aaron Boone as a guy who wants to hang out with the celebrity Yankees, have barbeques, a few drinks, play a pickup basketball game with Cortes and Judge, and just enjoy life as a millionaire. The problem? He's not actually doing his job.  Being in the friend zone with Gerrit Cole doesn't win you a championship.  He doesn't understand the stakes, He doesn't understand much of anything.  

And I'll take it further. Better, smarter and more experienced managers in baseball have been fired for way less than what Boone's mistakes have led this Yankee team over the years.  Buck Showalter is probably one of the most respected baseball minds in the game and the Mets lost a few years ago, and they cut him loose right away.  Billy Martin was back and forth with George Steinbrenner for years, but when he couldn't win, he'd be fired. It was pretty simple.  

The White Sox fired La Russa after the club got off to a 26–38 start in 1986, yet LaRussa is one of only two managers in MLB history to win World Series championships in both the American and National leagues.  What's my point? My point is Boone should have been fired years ago. He's terrible.

Now last night's game you cannot blame on Aaron Boone. The 5th inning for the Yankees was the strangest thing I've ever seen.  You always hear that errors will cost you ballgames, and last night it was evident. It was big. It was horrible.  The Yankee club should be embarrassed. But let me be clear, errors are part of the game, and while no one wants to see the Yankees fold like they did, the bigger issue is our leadership.

Hal Steinbrenner either doesn't have his finger on the pulse or Brian Cashman has fooled him enough to handle this team and tricked big Hal into believing that "close enough" with Aaron Boone is "good enough" and the bottom line is as fans, we are very in tune with what's going on, but as fans we also love to watch our team win it all.  Us fans spend the money, and we root hard only to be heartbroken and then we do it all over again the next year with our shitty manager and a wish and a prayer that we can retain Juan Soto long term.  

None of it makes sense, yet we do it anyway. It's a trap. It's an abusive relationship and we're the ones getting mind fucked every season. And so, my biggest gripe with this team is simple; the management is stale, the hunger only comes when we hit home runs, and the idea of manufacturing runs is a very small part of the Yankees game and that my friends has been going on since the days of Jason Giambi.  We will never break the mold if the manager gives Hal what he "thinks" he wants.  Boone does not think for himself. Boone panders. Boone does what he's told. In essence, Boone isn't running this team as a true manager would.  

I will give Joe Girardi credit for one thing; he was tough as nails when it came to managing this club. He wasn't the best at it, but he also didn't bend over and tried his best to manage the team his way.  Many times, it didn't work, but one time it did and 2009 was glorious.

But 2009 was a long time ago and everyone knows that Aaron Boone's not winning us a championship.  I mean, that lineup never changed in this World Series and there were major problems with our hitting.  I am still baffled by the fact that Boone started Jose Trevino because Austin Wells was slumping just to then pinch-hit Wells for Trevino later in that game anyway.  That's a manager that doesn't trust himself and it's embarrassing.

And so now the season is over.  Last night will I PRAY brings real changes to the New York Yankees manager and coaching staff.  Seeing the Dodgers celebrate at Yankee Stadium was sad, but this is the game.  Someone had to lose and why not us... we don't have leadership anyway.

Finally, I'll leave you with this; Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" is a staple for the Yankees when we win at the Stadium.  Last night the Yankees played that song while the Dodgers were celebrating.  While this was a total mind fuck for many of your fans, I clearly understood why they did it.  There are 2 reasons actually and while it's my opinion, I know I'm right. 

For one, it was a Thank you. It was a Thank you to the Yankees for the fight. It was a Thank You to us fans for sticking around and believing in the pinstripes. It was a "so long" as we head into the winter, not a "Goodbye".  Maybe it's my maturity, maybe I just understand symbolism, but for the love of God for silly fans and this Jomboy hack to make it appear that the Yankees "messed up" for playing that song are just ridiculous.

idc what it costs, Juan Soto needs to be a Yankee for life

You can't let this generational talent and attitude walk out the front doorpic.twitter.com/yd7a7eh1sr

— Mike Salvatore (@MikeSalvatore10) October 31, 2024

I have been a fan of this team since the old Yankee stadium, 1981, Yankees vs. Dodgers Game 1 of the World Series.  Even before that in '78 when I saw Ron Guidry strike out 18 Angels, but definitely in that World Series. The fans were loud, it just made sense to me that the Yankees were my team. And so, yes, I understand symbolism. I understand appreciation. The Yankees organization as a whole may not appear to be about the fans, but even they understood the gut punch last night.  It was a peace offering, a "we're sorry, but thank you". It was supposed to make you feel good about our team. And Secondly, they probably snuck this in too; While Sinatra was a Hoboken kid, he was a Dodgers fan. 

I know, I know, your brain just exploded. Well calm down, it's not that deep. It's symbolism and a gesture all the same. You may not have gotten it, but it was actually nice and guys like Jomboy make it about them and it's not. 

And so now we crawl into our caves and wait.  Hopefully Boone gets canned, it just makes sense at this point.  Hopefully the Yankees can figure out a way to retain Juan Soto while getting another top starting pitcher.  Hopefully we will see the fall classic next year and we win with a new manager and new hunger and an Aaron Judge who just tees off every at bat.

To our Bleeding Yankee Blue audience.  You are loyal, you are wonderful, and we thank you for your support and love. Many of you have been reading BYB since we started in September 2010. That is a long time, and we love you very much.  To the newbies, yeah, we complain about our Yankees a lot here, but we also celebrate them. Thank you for finding us and we hope you enjoy the ride.

Congrats to the Yankees for making it this far. You weren't supposed to be here, but you did prove many of us wrong and I respect the hell out of that.  I always will.

Go Yanks.

See you all in the offseason. We will not stop writing and will bring you as much news, info and humor as we can.  Thanks for reading Bleeding Yankee Blue.

-- Robert Casey
Chief & Head writer of Bleeding Yankee Blue
Twitter: @BleednYankeeBlu