New York Yankees‘ manager Aaron Boone was once again unsuccessful in trying to deliver a championship to the Bronx. The Bombers were eliminated by the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 in the best-of-five American League Division Series in a hotly contested matchup.
The Yankees’ skipper had to deal with all kinds of injuries and a few unexpected underperformers, like Gary Sanchez, Mike Tauchman, Miguel Andujar and company. Even still, the season was widely viewed as a disappointment.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic and the dispute between the players’ association and MLB, the league decided to implement a few rule changes for the 2020 short season. Among them were a baserunner starting at second base from the 10th inning on for both teams, seven-inning doubleheaders, and the implementation of the universal designated hitter for both leagues.
But there was one rule that the New York Yankees manager wasn’t a fan of, and it was the three-batter minimum for relievers.
The Yankees’ manager review on the rule changes
While speaking on SiriusXM’s MLB Network Radio channel with Jim Bowden, Casey Stern and Jim Duquette on Tuesday night, Bowden asked: “As a field manager how did you like the new rules that were implemented? How’d you like the 10th-inning rule, the doubleheader seven innings, the universal DH, the three batter rule as a manager? And which ones would you vote for returning in 2021 and beyond?â€
Boone’s reply:
“You know what, I think in hindsight, I think I really enjoyed — in the regular season anyway — the 10th-inning thing. I think that’s something that potentially can continue to stick. I think in this season that the seven-inning double header thing made some sense. And I liked it. I could see that being something moving forward. Universal DH I liked ’cause we have the DH. So anytime we go play a National League team and Giancarlo [Stanton] or somebody’s not available, I don’t like that. So I’m all in now on the DH. And then the three-batter rule, I thought I was going to really like (it), and I don’t think I loved it in hindsight. I didn’t like it. You know, there’s too many times that the game unfolds so much different if you were playing the other way that, I thought I was going to like it because I thought, just kind of selfishly or looking at it through my team’s lens, that we’d have our guys and you’d shoot these guys for three, but I do think there’s too many games where there is that need to want this guy to come in and face a batter or two and have the next guy up. And, I don’t think that should go away.â€
There you go. The Yankees’ bullpen was in the middle of the pack when it comes to ERA, FIP and fWAR, a clear step back from the super units of 2018 and 2019.