Yankees Manager Aaron Boone Not Worried About Getting Booed in Boston

Rob Way / WEBN-TV

By Rob Way 3/6/2018

LAKELAND, Fla — The Red Sox and Yankees rivalry goes back decades. One of the faces of that feud is Aaron Boone, the new manager of the New York Yankees.

“When the two teams are excellent, it’s always simmering,” Boone said of the feud.

Before he became manager, he was a third baseman for the Yankees. He also played for five other major league teams: the Reds, the Indians, the Marlins, the Nationals, and the Astros. Boone is long considered an enemy combatant in the eyes of Red Sox fans. He sank the Sox with a dramatic 11th inning walk-off home run in Game 7 of the ALCS in 2003 off Tim Wakefield. Even all these years later, he’s not the most popular guy in Boston.

As for his first visit to Fenway this upcoming spring, Boone says he isn’t worried about being booed.

“I got a last name that I’ve never been booed in my life.” he joked, referring to how boos sound a lot like Boone. “It just depends how you look at it.”

When asked about the pressure of playing the Red Sox, Boone said that he sees both the Sox and the Yankees as each’s others “biggest obstacles” in getting to the top of the American League. Boone also made it clear that the rivalry isn’t really on his mind.

“I don’t really concern myself with it,” he said. “I’ve got enough to worry about getting us ready to go and all that goes into winning games.”

So far this spring the Yankees have won 9 out of 11 games.

“I’m trying to get our guys ready,” Boone said. “I’m trying to get our coaching staff and team ready to compete for a championship.”

The team’s first regular season game against the Red Sox is on April 10th at Fenway.

Stay tuned to WEBN.TV for more Grapefruit League coverage throughout the week.