Chris Russo didn’t outright demand the Yankees fire Aaron Boone, but he came awfully close. On Wednesday’s First Take, the “Mad Dog” spent his latest “What Are You Mad About?” segment torching Boone’s mismanagement of the bullpen, letting his old WFAN station mates do the firing while he provided the gasoline.
Russo’s rage centered on Boone’s decision to stick with Devin Williams during Tuesday night’s collapse against the Texas Rangers. Williams had already coughed up a game-tying homer to Joc Pederson the night before, and Tuesday wasn’t any better. He loaded the bases in the eighth and gave up the go-ahead two-run single to Rowdy Tellez. Boone watched it all unfold without pulling him.
“He shouldn’t have pitched him at all,” Russo said of Boone’s decision to turn to Williams. “He should’ve taken him out after the double. He should’ve taken him out after the first walk and the second walk. And should never, ever, under any circumstances, allow him to pitch here. Williams has been awful.”
It wasn’t just one moment that set Russo off, although Tuesday’s baffling decision was the cherry on top. There’s a broader pattern here, or more a growing sense — from Russo and Yankees fans alike — that Boone is in over his head as the Yankees continue to lose what was once a firm grasp of a playoff spot.
“The Yankees made a million trades,” Russo added. “Boone looked very confused in that dugout on what to do with the bases loaded and two out. And the Yankees’ season is collapsing. They’re in big trouble. They’re behind the Red Sox. They’re behind Texas. They’re behind the freaking Blue Jays. They’re behind everybody.”
Heading into Wednesday afternoon, the Yankees had dropped five straight and were just 18-27 over their last 45. They salvaged a 3-2 win over the Rangers to improve to 61-54, thanks largely to David Bednar, one of their few deadline acquisitions who hasn’t imploded yet.
Williams didn’t pitch in the win, and at this point, he might not be trusted to anytime soon. His ERA has ballooned to 5.44, and what once looked like a savvy addition now feels like a ticking time bomb. Since giving up a crushing three-run homer to Pete Alonso in last year’s NL Wild Card series, Williams hasn’t looked remotely right.
Maybe the Brewers saw it coming. Maybe Russo did, too.
Yankees fans saw it coming once Williams entered the game on Tuesday. How could the manager not?
“And [Boone] is not Miller Huggins. He managed [Babe] Ruth. He’s not Miller Huggins,” said Russo. “But bringing in this reliever for the second straight day, when he’s got other guys out there, who’s been awful, is mind-boggling. Yankees fans today are going crazy on this.”
“I think that Boone is in a world of trouble,” said Stephen A. Smith
The Yankees are at a crossroads, and Boone’s every move is now under a microscope. If the team’s slide continues, patience will wear thin fast. If it hasn’t already.