Yankees: Former nemesis David Ortiz shares his thoughts on the Bombers’ manager situation

New York Yankees
Oct 16, 2017; Bronx, NY, USA; An view of the a field logo before game three of the 2017 ALCS playoff baseball series between the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

For years, slugger David Ortiz tormented the New York Yankees with timely hits and home runs during his time with the Boston Red Sox, where he is an absolute legend (deservedly so). Now that he is retired from the diamonds, he works as an analyst, and has an opinion about the Bombers’ manager situation.

Aaron Boone is the current Yankees’ manager, but the organization hasn’t made his return for the 2022 official. In fact, while ownership is reportedly leaning towards keeping him and offering him a new contract, there is also a strong chance that he leaves for greener pastures. He has had winning seasons in the four years he has been at the helm, but hasn’t been able to take the club to the World Series.

Ortiz, according to NJ Advance Media, was caught by TMZ cameras in Beverley Hills on Friday, and he offered his thoughts about Boone and the Yankees’ manager situation.

The Yankees’ foe said managers “don’t play”

“The manager don’t play, man,” Ortiz said. “The manager just makes moves. Nowadays, the game is more played out coming from the front office than anything else. That’s why you see all these young managers trying to do their thing, but they get to be managed by the front office.”

He is, in fact, right, as many of today’s top clubs rely on their analytics department to build lineups, design bullpen usage, and establish some rules and patterns for the manager to follow.

Ortiz declined to go into specifics when he was asked if he had any advice for Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman or owner Hal Steinbrenner. “I don’t know, man. I don’t know how they roll,” he said.

He did speak about Red Sox’s skipper Alex Cora, stating that he should get a “10-year” extension.

Lastly, Ortiz said his former foe and current friend Alex Rodriguez, who played for the Yankees during his prime and helped the team win the 2009 World Series, would be a good manager.

“As a manager, I think A-Rod would do great, too,” Ortiz said. “A-Rod has a lot of baseball knowledge. He’s a guy that loves baseball. Who knows? A-Rod has a lot of things going on now. He works everywhere. Eh, I don’t think so. He’s too busy with so many things.”