BOONE'S BRAIN HAS LEFT THE BUILDING

You ever watch someone fail so hard at their job that you genuinely start to worry they might be doing it on purpose? That’s where we are with Aaron Boone. At this point, it’s not just poor decision-making or lying to the press and fans—it’s just stupid. Yes, I said it. Stupid. And the latest example of Boone’s misguided nonsense? His defense of Anthony Volpe in the face of very real, very deserved fan frustration.

Let’s set the scene: Yankee fans boo when they’ve had enough. Period. We’re not clapping politely in the Bronx. Joey Gallo got booed into the next time zone, and rightly so—he couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat. And now, like déjà vu dipped in pinstripes, Volpe is getting the same treatment. He’s not producing. He’s not improving. And he’s certainly not “the guy.”

But does Aaron Boone listen? Nope. He holds a weird, almost unsettling loyalty to Volpe—like he’s guarding some dark Yankee secret. It’s beyond favoritism. It’s delusion. Boone was asked about fans booing Volpe and, in a moment that may go down as the dumbest soundbite in Yankees managerial history, he responded with this gem:

Aaron Boone uses his shirt to explain why he's not worried about Anthony Volpe getting booed pic.twitter.com/31Qfv3Kl4D

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) July 30, 2025

“Look, I bet you every guy on this shirt’s been booed here,” he said, pointing to his shirt... which had pictures of Derek Jeter, Babe Ruth, and Lou Gehrig on it.

Boone tried to equate Anthony freaking Volpe—who couldn’t find the strike zone with GPS—to three of the greatest players to ever breathe in Yankee Stadium air. Jeter? The Captain. Ruth? The Sultan of Swat. Gehrig? The Iron Horse. And then there’s Volpe: the struggling, erratic shortstop who’s only “legendary” for lowering fans’ blood pressure by getting benched. Volpe is in the Gallo category.

It’s not even funny anymore. It’s offensive.

Boone went on to wax poetic about how “everyone gets booed,” including Mariano Rivera. Yeah, Mo got booed. After he gave up runs. In the major leagues. In the World Series. Volpe gets booed for botching routine ground balls and hacking at pitches like he’s trying to kill a mosquito with a tennis racket. There’s a difference. A big one.

And look, it’s not Volpe’s fault he was crowned the future King of the Bronx before ever proving he belonged. That’s on the Yankees. That’s on their “trust the projections” analytics team that thought he was going to be Ozzie Smith. Instead, he’s barely hanging on as Jack Wilson with worse instincts.

What’s worse is Boone’s press-conference gaslighting. He acts like we—the fans—are crazy for being upset. Buddy, we’re not asking for Volpe to be perfect. We’re asking for competency. And when we don’t get it? We boo. That’s the Bronx. Deal with it.

Even MLB insider Joel Sherman had acknowledged the Volpe problem the ohter day. His recent report said, “No one should be surprised if they add one more bat before the deadline, preferably right-handed with the ability to play shortstop.” Translation: the Yankees know. The press knows. Everyone except Boone knows.

And it’s not like the team hasn’t made moves. They brought in Amed Rosario. They traded for Jose Caballero. Why? Because Volpe is a liability, plain and simple and I am positive they are "keeping an eye on it". If he keeps playing like he has—spoiler alert: he will—Joe Maddon’s suggestion makes perfect sense: send him down. Let Caballero, who actually has baseball instincts, take over. He's fast, smart, right-handed, and doesn’t look like a deer in headlights every time the ball is hit his way. And yes, Caballero can play, unlike Volpe. 

Bottom line: the Yankees made the wrong bet. Boone made it worse. And now, we’re all stuck watching Volpe flail and Boone spin the kind of nonsense that makes you wonder if he’s managing with a Magic 8-Ball.

And while we're on the subject: Boone isn’t a Yankee legend either. Let’s stop pretending. He hit one big home run in 2003. Great. Did we win the World Series that year? Nope. Yet the Yankees play that home run like it was Gettysburg. Boone was a moment, not a movement. And the only thing more tragic than his presence in Yankee lore is the fact that we now have to watch him protect Volpe like a bodyguard at a boy band concert.

Honestly, they should just bunk together at this point. Call it Camp Clueless.

I love the Yankees. I live and breathe this team. But this? This ain't it. This is some weird cosplay version of Yankee greatness where accountability died and mediocrity gets a standing ovation. And if this front office, this manager, and this shortstop are the future?

Then maybe the fans should start booing a little louder.

BYB HOT STOVE: VOLUME XX

Another week closer to opening day and it is about time! Let's take a look at what's happening across the MLB.  First up- Alex Rodriguez is giving out compliments these days, specifically to his new teammate and short stop Didi Gregorius.  As a matter of fact, Rodriguez, according to Ken Rosenthal, is morphing into a future scout, breaking down our new short stop in numbers and adjectives.

"What you see in a lot of young players are 6 or 7 arms, but then their accuracy is 3 or 4. Which is normal, par for the course. As they get older, they go from a 7-1/2 arm to about a 5-1/2 or 6-1/2 and their accuracy goes to about 6. But when you have that combination at 25 years old of crazy range, 7-plus arm, 7-plus accuracy ... even Ozzie [Smith], he had 7 accuracy but he didn’t have 7 arm strength. [Gregorius] has made plays from the hole, from his back foot, throwing the ball 90 mph across the diamond from his back foot. You don’t see that. It also makes it a lot easier for your third baseman to play third base," according to Rodriguez.  This is really positive...really positive and if this isn't complimentary enough, another veteran, praised Gregorius for his performance on the field.  "Didi is unbelievable, as good a shortstop as I’ve seen,” first baseman Mark Teixeira said. “And I’m not over-exaggerating.”

This is incredibly encouraging, now if he can hit with as much excitement and power, then we would be in business.  According to Rosenthal, "Gregorius is intent upon improving his offense -- he’s working to keep his body looser at the plate, not stiffening up the way he did in the past. For what it’s worth, his spring performance -- 10 for 35 with three doubles, two triples and two walks -- has been encouraging. He’s young, he’s energetic, he’s athletic. I don’t know about the rest of the Yankees, but the new shortstop, at least, will be fun to watch." Let's see what he can do- give the guy a chance and who knows? The possibilities are endless!

Turning to pitching, another man down in Colorado this week.  According to Nick Groke of the Denver Post, "Jorge De La Rosa, the Rockies' No. 1 arm, is nearer to the disabled list than the pitching mound. It's doubtful he'll be ready to start the season. Other than playing catch right now, he's pretty much shut down," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said Tuesday. De La Rosa is suffering from a left groin strain that has hampered him all spring." To add salt to the wound, Groke states that, "Weiss described De La Rosa's injury as "chronic " — a worrisome word for a team that used a club-record 15 starting pitchers last season."  This is not good for the Rockies who continue to battle through the thick competition of the National League West and their ace pitchers.

Finally, the Mets are keeping an eye out for a closer amidst their pitching injury woes.  According to Mark Saxon's Twitter feed, the Mets closely watching  three Dodgers left-handed relief options — J.P. Howell, Paco Rodriguez and Adam Liberatore — in case any of the three become available. As we mentioned last week in Hot Stove XIX, Josh Edgin is out with Tommy John surgery leaving a left-handed void in their pen.  The Mets are also taking a closer look at former Yankee pitcher Boone Logan and recent word is the Mets are still interested in Rookie lefty closer Rex Brothers.  Pitching is where the Mets have excelled over the last couple of years and they are hoping that this will help them contend this year, earning a spot in the post season.  We shall see.

That's it for BYB Hot Stove.  See you next week!

-Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
BYB Hot Stove Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof




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THE DEREK JETER STORY THAT WILL TICK YOU OFF

“Look at me! I want to be provocative so I’ll write a Jeter hit piece and hopefully get some clicks!”  That is a quote from how I perceived a May 10th, CBS Sports piece by Jason Keidel asking if Derek Jeter should retire?  Here I am, not wanting to tell you guys about it, because to be honest, I found it insulting.  After all, this is Captain we're talking about and Keidel clearly wants dummies like me to talk about it. Sure, here I am, stupid me, chomping at the bit… so here it goes…

Should Derek Jeter retire? That’s the question based on a hairline fracture in Jeter’s ankle that has kept him sidelined since last October.  Should Derek Jeter retire? I guess Keidel forgot about Jeter’s rejuvenation last season. You know, the one that happened after sports writers wrote off the Captain after his 2010, .270 season. That season was the beginning of the end... Remember that? Last year he batted .316. Just sayin’. Bleeding Yankee Blue was all over that "slump" back in 2010 because it was clear to us that the sports writers had no real grasp on the career of Derek Jeter, and Jason Keidel clearly doesn’t have a grasp on what the Captain can still achieve in his Yankee career.

Should Derek Jeter retire? Well… sure...one day.  Over time, everyone who is a working man should retire when the time is right, but Derek Jeter isn’t close to retiring, because, quite frankly, he’s not done.

He wasn’t done when he messed up his shoulder against the Toronto Blue Jays back in 2003, he wasn’t done when he smashed his face into the seats on a diving catch against the Boston Red Sox. He wasn’t done when he was nursing his injury before he hit 3000 hits and he’s not done now.  Why? Because it’s Derek Jeter silly.

Keidel starts his piece off writing “Stars are inherently and vehemently vain. Much of their motor is fueled by the conviction that they are better than everyone else.”

Right. How are you successful? You push hard to get to the top and knock over everything in your way.  I’m not learning anything yet, are you?  He goes on continuing to dazzle me with obvious points, “Derek Jeter is older, slower, and injured. And there will be a day when he can’t play anymore. Will it be this year or next?” The answer to that question is, we don’t know yet. What the hell are we doing here?

He finally makes his point:  “’Jeter’s not a quitter!’ you bark.

Retiring after 17 resplendent seasons isn’t quitting. It’s logical. Find one shortstop in the modern era who produced at 39. Cal Ripken switched to third base at 35. Ernie Banks switched positions at 30. Even Ozzie Smith, better in the field than all three combined, was a part-time player at 39. Jeter will be 39 the next time he swings at a live pitch.”

OK, but Keidel forgets one thing.  Derek Jeter won’t go out like that.  I mean sure, father time is kicking Jeter’s ass, but Jeter puts father time in a headlock once in a while.  When he was struggling with his swing, he figured it out on his own.  Ask he goes older, he compensates, and will continue to go on until he can’t.  Jeter isn’t a quitter and that’s something we’ve learned for years.  While it’s “logical” that Jeter will retire soon, he will at least make his every effort to get back, because as Keidel writes, athletes are “vain” and Jeter is no different.  When you do something as long as Jeter has, it ain't easy to walk away.  There is one important part of this.  While players come and go and all retire, Jeter is the Captain. Jeter sets the tone and Jeter is the example.  He’ll tell us when he’s ready and when he is, it will be a sad day in Yankeeland, but Yankee fans are smart, we don’t want to see broken down players and we get it.  But never count out Jeter… ever. It’s not in his DNA, it never was.  A busted ankle, while not easy to heal, DOES in fact heal.  Will he be the same? At 39, who knows, but he’s not going to determine his future until he sees if he still “Can.”

Keidel finally writes: “The question is only offensive because you love Derek Jeter. If you’re under 30, he is all you’ve known, the dynastic emblem of your youth. But just as kids once wondered who would replace Ruth found Gehrig, and then DiMaggio, and then Mantle. I was reared on Reggie Jackson and then Don Mattingly.” All true but logical thinking also doesn’t have us shipping off Jeter to an old age home.  If you only grew up with Jeter, it will be hard, but I grew up with Guidry and Reggie and Mattingly and Winfield and let me tell you something, times change, we know that, but there has never been anyone quite like Jeter when it comes to that leadership role.

Yes, Mattingly fans, Donnie is right there, and he played through a bad back, but there is something unique about this Captain.

All I’m saying is yes, being 39 with a healing ankle for anyone else… Yes, it logical that retirement is very, very near.  For Jeter who’s 39 with a healing ankle, it’s logical to think that he’ll come back stronger because he’s always proved father time wrong… sure, we will have to see, but I have a gut feeling about this…do you?

Shout out to Jason Keidel, well done piece, you got me thinking... I like that.

THE 21ST CENTURY BASEBALL PLAYER: IN A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN

After reading Casey's post WE DON'T NEED SUPERSTARS, WE NEED BELIEVERS, I started thinking: “What does the 21st Century Baseball Player look like?”  I mean, what are his characteristics, what’s in his core? What makes him tick?  Are these players deeply connected to their team?  Are they creative thinkers?  Are they respectful and ethical?

Well, let’s take the first question: “Are they deeply connected to their team?”  My initial response, is “No, they aren’t.”  The end.  Well, there is more to that actually.  With the way contracts are written today, it is very rare that a player who signs with a particular team stays with that team throughout his career.  He will more than likely test the free agency market and leave his old team behind.  I will be honest they broke the mold when they made Derek Jeter, for he is one of the few exceptions to this trend. 

“In order to beat the Yankees, teams will have to excel at finding international talent, continue to scout domestic players well and sign the right free agents. It takes money to do this, of course, but it also takes smarts,” according to ESPN’s article Baseball in the 21st century. And money they are pledging, have you looked at the contracts being signed this off-season?  Toronto Blue Jays, Red Sox, Pittsburgh- making big offers to okay players.  The Marlins sold off their entire team for God’s sake.  So, in many ways, it is not entirely the players’ fault that they are not as connected or vested in their team because they don’t know how long they will stick around.  Baseball is big business and in the 21st century world of buying and selling, baseball fits right in with today’s Fortune 500.  But just like the trend of downsizing or rightsizing, players are expendable and can’t always stay with the same company.  Perhaps they are jaded by that notion.

Next, “Are they creative thinkers?”  My impulse answer is “Yes!”  Joe DiMaggio once said (HERE), "I'm just a ballplayer with one ambition, and that is to give all I've got to help my ball club win. I've never played any other way." But what about today’s player? Does he have the creative ambition to give it all, think it through and do what’s best for the team? “Aside from differences in batting stances or pitching motions, baseball is a game of repetition—of executing learned mechanics exactly, so that the ball does what it should every single time. Through the minors, the goal is teaching the proper way to perform, not to encourage uniqueness,” according to the Wall Street Journal article These Moves Have a Trademark.  No, no, I mean creatively problem-solving, thinking it through, doing something different on the field.  Well, Mark Teixeira slid into first at the end of the Orioles series in early September.  That was an instantaneous decision, not necessarily a good one since it rendered him inactive until the end of season.  We’ve seen sliding catches by Curtis Granderson in center field, key running decisions to put players in scoring position, but these moves don’t supersede what was always done in baseball and frankly players of the 20th century took more risks.

I will never forget the diving third baseman Graig Nettles engulfing base hits and transforming them into outs or Ozzie Smith’s signature “Wizard of Oz” heroic plays at short stop and then there was the incredible energy of the Gator or Louisiana Lightning as he struck out the side, sprinting mightily off the mound to let his team’s offense take over.  Ahh, those were some creative guys- they kept the game interesting.  Remember it was Guidry who inspired fans to begin furiously clapping for the third strike and third out of the inning!  We still do this today!

Finally, what can we say today about baseball players’ ethical practices?  "As one NBC sports commentator, Mike Celizic, asked a few years back, 'If amphetamines were okay, if cutting the ball was OK, if stealing signs was OK, if throwing spitters was OK, why were steroids not OK?'" (HERE) We live in an era where performance enhancing drugs are commonplace in sports.  Look at Lance Armstrong who is paying a pretty price for his doping, Alex Rodriguez who is certainly paying for his use with his second hip surgery scheduled, and Barry Bonds, up for the Hall of Fame this year, will always have a cloud of inquiry around him.  Ethics don’t only include steroids, but sneaky tactics and these have been around for as long as baseball has been played.  From corked bats to pine tar, baseball players have been “creatively” blurring the line between unethical behavior to just playing the game.  Even the ‘ol retaliation between pitcher and batter is an ethical matter.  So, today’s player may not be any different than what was always done in the years before his debut.  Ethics have always been questioned. 

So, we looked at today’s baseball player in terms of connection to the team, creative thinking and ethics and the final score here is D, C, B respectively with an overall grade of C.  Any way you look at it, today’s baseball player is not perfect, but he certainly keeps the game interesting. And I for one am always on the lookout for something unique, somebody who does something remarkable- that pie in the face, walk off, dominating move, play or ambitious energy that keeps the game electric.  It’s there, you just have to focus and not compare today’s game to yesterday’s- there just is no comparison; the 21st Century Player is in a league of his own. 

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Opinion Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof




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WHY "DOING WHAT I SAY" IS BETTER THAN "DOING WHAT I DO"

On February 15th, current SDSU coach, former Padre, and a childhood idol of mine Tony Gwynn underwent a second surgery to remove another cancerous tumor from his face. It was shocking to read about. You can read it HERE and you can read where I first wrote about Mr. Gywnn and his cancer on BYB here... read WHY WE NEED TO STOP AND THINK. This time doctors removed a nerve along with the growth from inside his right cheek. They replaced it with one from his neck. Doctors say it could take up to 18 months before he regains movement to the right side of his face. 18 MONTHS!

All of this stems from chewing tobacco during his playing days. Dip, Chew, Chaw; call it whatever you want, but this stuff is nasty and can have long lasting health effects. Kids want to emulate their favorite players, but take warning: DON'T COPY THIS BEHAVIOR.

Tony Gwynn had one of the sweetest swings I've ever seen. The guy also played hard every day, on every play. Growing up in the 80s and being a Yankee fan, I had limited exposure to Gwynn but when I did see him I was in awe....he, Don Mattingly, Ozzie Smith, Kirby Puckett; those were the guys all the kids wanted to be.

We wish Tony the best and hope he recovers soon!

--Lem Allen, BYB Freelance Contributor

Email me at:bybcurmudgeon@gmail.com

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: HOMER BUSH

In my lifetime as a fan of baseball, as well as the New York Yankees, I always rooted for the little guy. Growing up, I appreciated what speed could do to change the dynamic of a ball club and I appreciated men smaller than the others out on a baseball diamond, yet, competing at the same level. I had huge respect for guys like Phil Rizzuto, David Eckstein and Homer Bush because, I am just like them, minus the talent of course. Not to say Homer was small like Rizzuto, Homer was 5'10" and cock diesel, but just smaller than the average Major League Player.

When Homer Bush was a member of the 1998 New York Yankees club and a guy that was always in the middle of it. He made his debut with the Yankees in 1997 and played until 2004 on the Major League level. After the 2008 Yankee championship, Bush was traded to the Blue Jays along with Graeme Lloyd, and David Wells for Roger Clemens. Luckily for us, Bush was resigned by the Yankees in 2004 and when he came back, I was thrilled.

These days Homer Bush is on Facebook and I was able to catch up with him and ask him to speak with us. He said yes, I was thrilled. I bring you our Bleeding Yankee Blue interview with Mr. Homer Bush:

BYB: Every child impersonates a player's batting stance or pitching stretch. My favorite was Ron Guidry. Who was yours and why?

Homer Bush: Ozzie Smith, because he was a slick fielding shortstop.

BYB: You were part of the 1998 World Champion Yankees, one of the greatest teams ever in the history of baseball. How important is that championship team to you?

Homer Bush: Among other things, being on the 1998 World Series Championship team has giving me popularity and financial benefits that I never dreamed of.

BYB: Describe the inner workings of the Joe Torre, Don Zimmer Machine. They were a staple of those Yankee teams for 4 championships. What was it about them that really helped boost the team?

Homer Bush: They both believed in every player on the roster plus, they had a calm presence that said everything's gonna be alright.

BYB: What player or players on the 1998 team did you attach yourself with, learn from and admire the most and why?

Homer Bush: Tim Raines, Darryl Strawberry and Chili Davis. We talked hitting everyday. I hit .380 that year because I was prepared for every at bat.

BYB: What do you think of the New Yankee stadium compared to the old one?

Homer Bush: I miss the old stadium, but the new stadium is awesome! In order for the Yankees to keep putting a beast of a team on the field, the extra seating and suites are needed to generate more revenue.
BYB: What's it like to appear in an Old-Timer's game?

Homer Bush: Old Timer's Day is my favorite...The fans show me mad love! I get the opportunity to be around some of the best and greatest players to ever put on a uniform. As you can imagine, I get a ton of pictures and autographs.
BYB: When your at the Old Timer's games, what legends do you like to chat with and why?

Homer Bush: The older the better. Hector Lopez is my favorite. Yogi Berra is the man though! They have some amazing stories about how different the game was during their playing days. It makes a player like myself appreciate playing during the era I played.

BYB: Is there any website or appearance that we can plug for you?

Homer Bush: Homer Bush Baseball on Facebook. Check it out.

BYB: Do you ever read Bleeding Yankee Blue? If so, what do you think?

Homer Bush: I do not...I will though.

Well, thank you Homer, we hope you do and thank you for talking to us. We appreciate your time and I personally loved you on the Yankees.