What did Aaron Boone say about his choices to take the home run swings for the American League?
It's not often that a managerial decision in the All-Star Game gets remembered, but New York Yankees skipper Aaron Boone might prove the exception.
Boone got to manage the American League squad on Tuesday night in Atlanta thanks to the Yankees' appearance in the 2024 World Series. But much like the decision to bring Nestor Cortes out of the bullpen in Game 1 of that World Series, Boone was on the wrong end of a late-game head-scratcher.
Both teams had to pick three hitters to participate in a first-of-its-kind home run derby swing-off to decide the victor between the two leagues. And Boone selected three names that ranged from exciting to uninspiring.
Brent Rooker of the Athletics? Great choice. Randy Arozarena of the Seattle Mariners. Entirely defensible. But Jonathan Aranda of the Tampa Bay Rays? A contact hitter with 11 home runs on the season?
It was a choice that seemed suspect in the moment, but Boone defended it after the AL lost 4-3, including an 0-for-3 performance from Aranda to close it out.
"We had to pick our guys yesterday," Boone said, per Phillip Martinez of SNY. "Wanted to make sure I picked guys I knew would be in the game there and still hot. That was my choice."
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It made sense that the biggest home run hitters, like Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh, weren't available for Boone to select. It had to be players who were loosened up and ready for the moment. But there was at least one noteworthy omission.
Kansas City Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. was ready and willing to participate, according to Witt himself. He told Anne Rogers of MLB.com that he "wished" he had been asked to do the swing-off.
Witt, as you might recall, finished runner-up to Teoscar Hernández by a single long ball in the 2024 Home Run Derby in Arlington, Tex.
In the grand scheme of things, it's not as though this missed opportunity stands out as a black mark on Boone's resume. But if you're ever looking for an example to cite in a debate about whether it matters who manages the All-Star Game, you've got one here.
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