World Series Analysis: Tim Wakefield Yankees Name Aaron Boone Manager

World Series Analysis: Tim Wakefield Yankees Name Aaron Boone Manager

On Wednesday night, I watched the first episode of The Comeback. This episode reinforces all the negative feelings I had about the New York Yankees. They are portrayed (rightly) as despicable, holier-than-thou people who think baseball is something other than a game. Not that you need a reminder, but the 2003 Red Sox season highlighted in that episode ended with Aaron Boone’s walk-off home run in Game 7 of the ALCS. Tim Wakefield had a great game, but in the 11th inning, he threw a ball that didn’t quite hit the knuckles and found its way into the seats.

Fast forward to 2018, and the Yankees are searching for a new manager. Instead of hiring someone with coaching experience, they hired Aaron Boone. Boone jumped from television analyst to Yankees president in the offseason. There could have been other teams interested in hiring Boone, but his status as a Yankees champion may have played some role in the decision. (Note: Despite beating the Red Sox, the Yankees did not win the 2003 World Series.)

By Yankee standards, Boone’s tenure was unsuccessful. Although they have been in the playoffs consistently, this is the first year they have advanced to the World Series. In Boone’s first World Series game last night against the Dodgers, he made the decision to insert Nestor Cortes into the game with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning. Some may call the decision questionable, but I would call it downright crazy.

Curtis is a pitcher who relies on leadership and deception above all else. His stuff is fine, but he lacks speed and often uses deception to throw hitters off balance. He also has not participated in tonight’s match for more than a month. Don’t put a pitcher on your roster if you don’t think they can offer something in the series. You also don’t put a pitcher who relies on driving into the game with the bases loaded and three former MVPs coming to the plate in his first appearance in several weeks.

Hindsight is 20-20, but what was Boone thinking? Will Curtis come along and suddenly start shooting 95 mph on original command? Did he think this was a straight-to-TV Disney movie starring a scheming lefty with a scruffy moustache? Did he expect Curtis to sneak in a 92 mph fastball by Freddie Freeman? No, he thought Curtis had been throwing the ball well lately.

Aaron Boone on going to Nestor Cortes Jr. in the 10th.

“Just loved the game. He’s been throwing the ball really well over the last few weeks where he’s been ready for it… I felt guilty with Nestor in that spot.@MLBNetwork

– John Morosi (@jonmorosi) October 26, 2024

I don’t want to give Aaron Boone advice, but he should take the situation into consideration the next time he makes a decision like this. Curtis has been throwing the ball well over the past few weeks — against nobody. Pitching to the bullpen while rehabbing is very different from pitching future Hall of Famers with a World Series game on the line.

In short, thank you, Tim Wakefield, for throwing a knuckleball that didn’t hit. It was an integral domino in the chain of events that led to the curse being reversed, ensuring that the Yankees had absolute discretion to make decisions.

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