THE Yankees began yesterday desperately needing an eighth-inning pitcher and a right fielder, and they obtained a third baseman.
The team that over the previous 13 months traded for guys of dubious makeup – Armando Benitez, Raul Mondesi, Ruben Sierra and Jeff Weaver – suddenly were thrilled to add the sterling character of Aaron Boone.
But it wasn’t character, Brian Cashman insisted, it was about getting a player who by the end of the GM’s description sounded like a cross between Mike Schmidt and Mother Teresa. Of course, descriptions made these days by Yankees officials shouldn’t really count for much, considering two weeks ago they were calling Brandon Claussen all but untouchable, though, of course, he was the key part of the deal to get the Schmidt/Teresa hybrid.
At that All-Star break, Claussen was described by Yankees officials as instrumental to their 2004 plans. Now Boone is central to those 2004 plans (see ya, Drew Henson). That would be assuming the Yanks have a cohesive plan, which is hard to believe even if they put eight club officials on a conference call yesterday in which team president Randy Levine offered an opening soliloquy on Tampa-New York organizational togetherness that I swore was going to eventually include a group rendition of “Kumbaya.”
We’ll see how long that unity lasts if Boone is just another guy from a losing atmosphere who can’t play here; or if Claussen spends the rest of the year in Cincinnati showing he is more Andy Pettitte than Ed Yarnall; or – naturally worst of all – if the Red Sox overtake the Yanks in the AL East.
“I’m probably going to the best organization in sports,” Boone said.
Well, they used to be, anyway. These days the Yanks seem to operate by the plan of the moment. Enrique Wilson drops a fly ball in right; go get Mondesi. A few eighth innings go bad; bring in the terrible personality of Dan Miceli. That doesn’t work; bring in human unlucky charm Benitez.
Never has the organization been quite so accurate a reflection of George Steinbrenner: too much money to spend and no discipline to spend wisely.
The Yanks said they are not reacting to the Red Sox. It sounds hollow, especially because word around the majors was the Yanks wanted Boone because Boston was going to get him and turn him into Seattle’s Freddy Garcia. Boston, having added better bullpen components and a competent rotation entity (Jeff Suppan), had a better July than the Yanks. We’ll see if that changes the long-standing Yankees dominance over the Red Sox come September and October.
For now, the Yanks know they have upgraded on Robin Ventura (dealt to the Dodgers). Boone should, in fact, be thought of as a more athletic, more powerful Scott Brosius. A scout who has seen Boone extensively said, “He’s mentally and physically ready to play every day. He’s an above-average player on a championship club.” A one-time Reds official said, “If you can play for your dad [former Reds manager Bob Boone] and all that went along with that, you can play in New York.”
We’ll see. In his only taste of September contention, the 1999 Reds’ futile wild-card chase with the Mets, Boone did not play well.
The Yankees talked lineup balance, but the righty-swinging Boone has hit poorly against lefties this year, and he gets southpaw stars Barry Zito and Mark Mulder as a Yankees introduction this weekend. Sure, Boone was an All-Star this year, but in the same way Benitez was an All-Star for the Mets, because every team has to be represented. Even now, Benitez looms as the much greater threat to the Yankees, who have enough to do to hold off Boston without caring for Benitez’s psyche on a daily basis.
Cashman invoked Boone as the “infield Paul O’Neill,” obviously wanting to channel the success from a decade ago of a great Yankees trade with Cincinnati in which a good player turned great. But that was back when the Yanks had a clear vision of who they wanted to be. These days the Yanks are too much money, too little mind.
The deal
The Yankees yesterday acquired third baseman Aaron Boone from the Reds for pitching prospect Brandon Claussen and cash.
Here’s a look at the deal:
YANKEES GET
Aaron Boone
30-year-old righty-hitting third baseman
Drafted third round, 1994
Brother of Seattle’s Bret Boone
Free agent at end of season
Since becoming a full-time player for the Reds in 1999, Aaron Boone has been a model of consistency. Here’s a look at Boone’s key stats since then:
Year HR RBI AVG.
1999 14 72 .280
2000 12 43 .285
2001 14 62 .294
2002 26 87 .241
2003 18 65 .273
REDS GET
Brandon Claussen
24-year-old left-handed pitcher
Drafted 34th round, 1998
Had Tommy John surgery, June 2002
Win vs. Mets, June 28
IP H R ER BB SO
6 1/3 8 2 1 1 5
2003 at Triple-A Columbus
W-L ERA IP H BB SO
2-1 2.75 68.2 53 28 21
