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AL WILDCARD GAME: ATHLETICS VS YANKEES

October 3, 2018

Aaron Boone

New York, New York

Q. Not that it needs to be of the Knute Rockne variety, but do you deliver a speech to your guys before a game like this? Are you a believer in just treating this like any other game?
AARON BOONE: I spoke to the team yesterday briefly, short and sweet. So, you know, I try and communicate with the guys as much as I can individually, collectively, throughout the year. But I did address them as a club yesterday just for a couple of minutes.

Q. What was your message?
AARON BOONE: We're ready. And, you know, it was just for our room.

Q. Yesterday we were talking to you, we weren't sure what Oakland was doing with its pitching. What do you think now? You had one of these games on September 4th with the same guys starting and you handled that one well. What do you think of going into this game facing something like this?
AARON BOONE: Well, it certainly presents a different kind of challenge. The one good thing is we've at least experienced it to some degree this year, obviously with what Tampa has done throughout the year, Oakland, Minnesota did it to us. So it's not something that's foreign.

It's something that the guys have experienced, and so I think it helps hopefully with our preparation and how guys prepare as different guys roll in, as you're facing potentially a different guy every at-bat.

So I think the guys take a little bit of comfort in the fact that we've done this a little bit. So hopefully that will be something that benefits us.

Q. To what extent is your players' preparation different today in that you can't watch video of a particular starting pitcher or other ways that --
AARON BOONE: It's kind of an individual thing. Everyone's a little bit different with how much information they want, how they watch video. Marcus and PJ -- and we have our hitter meeting every single day where guys communicate with one another.

We'll talk about, you know -- they'll talk about, I should say -- a handful of their pitchers. And obviously we've had a lot of time leading up to this, to prepare for the different guys in their bullpen. So I feel like our guys are up to speed as much as each of them want to be on who they might see tonight.

Q. It's unusual, obviously, that a new manager would take over a team that is at the brink of the World Series the year before, even you as a first-time guy. Does the success or failure of this season just ride on this one night; is it that simple?
AARON BOONE: You know what, I leave that to you guys. I'm consumed with this. So we're pouring in to try to prepare for tonight in a win-or-go-home game. I feel like we're in a good place as a club. I feel like we're prepared and ready as we can be. And hopefully we'll go out and put our best foot forward and take care of business and move on.

But as far as judging what all this means, you know, I didn't get it into it for that. That's for you guys, respectfully.

Q. You have a couple of rookies going tonight. And Judge was in this role I would say last year. What kind of leadership advice have you given these younger players for this game tonight?
AARON BOONE: Aaron Judge is a really, really good leader, and especially for being a young player himself. He has all those kind of qualities that you want in a guy to be the face of your club, to be one of the leaders of your club.

And the intangible things that he brings away from just how good of a player he is between the lines are -- he's special. And I know he's played a role in helping kind of ease the transition for our young players, our rookie players that have had major impacts for our club this year.

But I also think it's a tribute to those rookies in who they are that they've kind of handled everything so well this year and all the things that come with being, transitioning to becoming a Major League player certainly in this city and playing for this franchise. And they've handled it so well.

Q. How do your emotions compare heading into this situation as a manager compared to same situation as a player; more anxiety, less anxiety, no anxiety?
AARON BOONE: Similar. You know, we're playing for a lot. And you pour a lot into this, whether you're a player, whether you're in my position, whether you're behind the scenes, whether you're a front office member. A lot of people pour a lot into us being in this position to have a chance and to playing in the postseason.

So with that comes a lot of emotion, a lot of excitement, anxious, butterflies, the whole bit. And I would say that's fairly similar now as when I was a player.

Q. As the son of a big league manager and as a player from really a different era in terms of how the role of a manager has evolved, how comfortable were you with the new place that managers have just with so much front office input now and how have you found it this season doing that?
AARON BOONE: Well, I mean, it's all I know. So I've loved it. I've loved every step of the way. I mean, I love the game. I love the Major League season, the challenge of it, the peaks and the valleys of it, the tough times, the really good times. I appreciate it all.

And so I'm just living in it, entrenched in it on a daily basis. And from this chair, this is in 2018, all I've known and I loved it.

Q. It wasn't an adjustment just because of the [inaudible]?
AARON BOONE: I mean, it's all an adjustment. But nothing out of the ordinary, I would say.

Q. Obviously you had so many injuries in the second half of the year. Would you say that this is as healthy as the team has been in months coming into tonight's game?
AARON BOONE: Yeah. I feel like over the last 10 days we've kind of gotten our team whole again and back. And that's comforting. That's comforting going into this game and into the postseason. And like I said, I feel like with the group we have in there, look, anything can happen obviously, but I feel like we can play and beat anyone. And I think our guys know that. I think at the core they know that and believe that and hopefully that serves us well going into tonight.

Q. As the home team, in a game like this, in what tangible ways can a raucous crowd make an impact?
AARON BOONE: I think it's a big deal. And I was on the National League side last year covering. But I watched pretty much all the games, and I remember watching with my sons last year. And seeing for the first time to me like where Yankee Stadium was coming across the TV, you know. It was alive.

And it was palpable watching at home to see how -- to see a home-field advantage really happen. And I think that's a tribute to the fans. I think it's a tribute to our players and the connection that this group of players that this kind of new generation as we've gotten younger, the connection that they have with our fan base.

I can't wait to see them out there and see the environment that they're able to create and hopefully we can give them even more reason to hopefully give us what we believe is a real home-field advantage.

Q. In a game like tonight, what do you think could be the biggest difference in your job compared to the regular season?
AARON BOONE: First of all, there's no tomorrow. Obviously you tend to be a little more aggressive with how you potentially use your bullpen. You're not thinking in terms of I need to give this guy a day or stay away from this guy or this guy's pitched a few days in a row.

We're fresh, we have a couple starters in our bullpen. So I think that's the biggest thing is you're probably -- just a little more aggressiveness and urgency with everything you do knowing that there is no tomorrow. So I think that's the biggest difference.

Q. And certainly in the postseason we've seen plenty of examples going way back of the importance of the bullpen. But why do you think it seems more important now than ever? And why are managers so aggressive in these kind of settings in changing pitchers so often?
AARON BOONE: Well, I think the bullpens have become across the board, especially with most of the really good teams, more dynamic, and more guys kind of, in a way, are bred these kind of roles and built for these kinds of roles and understanding that when a guy comes in for a few hitters and facing him one time with electric stuff or a pitch that's designed to get a particular hitter out or a particular matchup, I think teams in a lot of ways kind of build things out that way now.

That being said, great starters are capable of -- and what's (indiscernible) tonight? Just because we have a loaded pen and guys fresh and rested. If Severino, he could pitch very easily deep into this game and it wouldn't surprise me and I think he's very capable of it.

Q. You mentioned the rookies. What about Andujar and Torres' individual personalities has allowed them to have the success? And I'm sure you're thinking this moment won't be too big for them.
AARON BOONE: I think first and foremost, I think they have a lot of confidence. And confidence is a powerful thing in baseball and in sports. And I think they know they can play. And they know they belong here. And that's served them well. And that's helped them through the roller coaster that can be a Major League season. And I think that's allowed them to handle things really well and allowed them to be really consistent at what they've done.

I also think both of them are smart, and smart matters and helps. When you are a smart guy, that helps you in this game, I think, in a big way. And both those guys have shown a real aptitude and ability to make adjustments at this level.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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