The New York Yankees’ hot streak couldn’t have come at a better time for manager Aaron Boone.
After a rough start to August and a memorable series loss to the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees rattled off seven wins in a row entering play on Sunday, going for a four-game sweep of the lowly Chicago White Sox.
After an embarrassing loss in last year’s World Series, though, the Yankees are under a microscope, Boone in particular. Is there still a chance, hot streak and all, that the skipper could be replaced during the offseason?
Insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today hinted at that possibility on Sunday.
Nightengale predicted that at least six new managers would be hired across Major League Baseball this offseason (four have already been fired) and listed Boone among the candidates to be replaced.
“You’re always on the hot seat when you manage the Yankees,” wrote Nightengale. “Yankees GM Brian Cashman doesn’t hide his admiration and respect for Boone, but the Yankees certainly need to make the playoffs for Boone to retain his job.
“The big question is how deep in the playoffs they need to go for Boone’s job to be secure?”
Boone, like any manager, can be an easy scapegoat for an underperforming team. And this year’s American League playoff picture is as wide-open as ever, so an early-round exit would at least prompt tough questions for Cashman and owner Hal Steinbrenner to answer at a season-ending press conference.
However, the Yankees are virtually locked into a playoff spot at this point, so Boone could certainly have been more at risk than he appears at the moment.
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