AL DIVISION SERIES: GUARDIANS VS YANKEES

October 17, 2022

Aaron Boone

Yankee Stadium

New York Yankees

Pregame 5 Press Conference

Q. How aggressive would you be with Jameson and the pen knowing what's at stake?

AARON BOONE: He could definitely give us length, but I would probably be fairly aggressive with everyone we have down there today depending on how the game is going, how he's doing, score leverage, all those kind of things. We'll be aggressive but certainly feel like he could give us length.

Q. What do you like about Taillon in this situation, win-or-go-home?

AARON BOONE: I just feel like he's going to handle the situation mentally, emotionally, all those things. He's such a pro. He's pitched, I feel like, a handful of really big games for us over the last couple years. Maybe a game within the season that felt like a big game at the time or we needed a long start, and he's always kind of been there and been that rock for us.

He's had a really good year on balance. I feel like he was throwing the ball really well down the stretch for us. Just feel a lot of comfort in handing him the ball.

Q. Do you have a read on the weather situation for tonight?

AARON BOONE: I'm scheduled to be on a call in about 25 minutes. I've heard not great. So we'll see.

Q. Obviously playing against elimination for two nights in a row now, but tonight with a chance to eliminate the opponent, is there a different mentality going into a winner-take-all as opposed to just an elimination game?

AARON BOONE: I don't think so. We are trying to put our best foot forward. Obviously there are certain games within a series that take on that a little bit more meaning, but every game in the postseason is, man, everything matters. And I don't think anything changes for us today other than getting to be at home. We're in our stadium. Hopefully that serves us well, and you know, hopefully we go out and play the way we're capable of.

Q. Given Gerrit Cole's performance last night, would you be hesitant to use him at all today if you needed him?

AARON BOONE: Yeah, I'd be hesitant. Yeah. He's already told me he's available. So I'd be a little hesitant to use him but you never know where the day takes you.

Q. As the playoffs keep expanding every 10, 15 years or so, is it harder for the teams that are more excellent during the season to maintain that through October and get to a title?

AARON BOONE: Well, I think by definition, just adding more teams to the mix makes it more difficult of a road. Especially in baseball, you know, probably a little bit more so than other sports, you know, kind of any team can win on a given day.

You know, that said, with this new format, I like the fact that it's tried to put a premium on the teams that really excelled over the course of 162. Tried to at least create a little advantage there. But you know, our job is to get ready to try and win a ballgame tonight and win a series, and that's where our focus is and not what it means. You know, how you got here to this point doesn't really matter.

Q. What have you seen in Judge's at-bats or what he's doing at the plate that may or may not be different from the regular season where he had such a high batting average?

AARON BOONE: I feel like, one, they pitched him tough this series. I feel like the last two games in Cleveland, he started to get really close to being really locked in like we saw him most of the season. Obviously had a big home run for us the other day. Got a base hit yesterday.

I thought was more on time with some pitches the last couple of days, and I think, you know, as it oftentimes is with hitters, you know, a timing thing. I feel like his timing is starting to get close to where he's locked in.

Q. I know it's not up to you whether you play tonight but does playing through rainy conditions, does your opinion on whether that's a good idea change in the postseason because every play could matter and you wouldn't want a slippery ball?

AARON BOONE: I don't know if it changes now. Even in the regular season, I don't necessarily love that. I don't want to do that.

But yeah, I don't want to -- if weather is an issue, like I don't want to be powering through that necessarily.

Q. How is DJ doing, if you advance, is there a better chance that he would be activated for the next series?

AARON BOONE: We'll see. I mean, that's -- we'll get through tonight and have those conversations. He's doing all right.

Q. Carpenter has gotten one at-bat in the series. Was there thought to either getting him in the outfield or Stanton in the outfield so you could get Carpenter back in the lineup?

AARON BOONE: No, not tonight. Now, in the next series, that could come into play if we get there. I've considered maybe G if the next couple days go well, a left field scenario or something. But no, I wouldn't throw them in left field, for example, here right now when they haven't been out there yet.

So for me, that wasn't a consideration tonight.

Q. Could Carpenter play the outfield in an emergency?

AARON BOONE: Oh, yeah, I think if we got in a situation, I could put him at first or somewhere in the outfield, yeah.

Q. Can you explain the mechanism for the decision tonight? Do you and/or the Yankees have a vote? Are you told if you're playing or not? Do the networks tell you if you're playing or not? How does tonight go essentially?

AARON BOONE: I know I'll probably be on a Zoom call with the league and with Cleveland, representatives from us, and they will probably walk through what the latest forecast is, and the couple of different experts they will have on to talk through that; this is what we're looking at.

I think everyone kind of has a say but ultimately it's an MLB decision.

Q. Your franchise, no team has more expectations on it than the Yankees do. This time of year, is the weight of the expectations a real thing mentally? Do you think teams can struggle with that? We've seen two very high-profile teams get knocked out with expectations. Is that something that guys can individually cope with?

AARON BOONE: Yeah, I think that's all part of being a major league athlete, or an athlete in general. There's pressures that come with, to varying degree, wherever you may be. You've got to be able to handle those things and deal with those things, and oftentimes, it's something that can fuel you in a good way. Sometimes it can get in your way a little bit.

But I mean, that's part of thriving as a major league athlete on the biggest stage and in the most pressure-packed moments that can oftentimes be a separator. It's not all just physical. There's mental, emotional, how you deal with adversity and things like that. All important things and real things, and hopefully we handle those well.

Q. You obviously played in a famous elimination game in the old stadium, but as a player, you're pretty much responsible for yourself. As a manager, you're responsible for everyone. So how is the feeling different before a sudden-death game as a manager, and is the pressure that much greater than it is as a player competing in that game?

AARON BOONE: I don't know. I think they are similar. You know, you get to this time of year, you're playing for -- there's a ton on the line and you're playing for it. Hopefully you find that awesome, and I think our guys do realize that's a great opportunity.

With that, that comes with some nerves and things you've to deal with, but that's part of playing this time of year. But for the most part, you're relishing that opportunity to go out there and do something special.

Q. Following up on Judge, the decision to move him down a notch in the order, and did that contribute to the homer and feeling better?

AARON BOONE: I think it led to him hitting the homer (laughter).

No. I just wanted to flip it up a little bit. Part of it, I feel like we're a little more whole as a group than we were two and three weeks ago, or certainly a month, six weeks ago when I felt like there was the real necessity to put him up there.

You know, with no DJ, with no Benintendi, we don't really have that prototypical lead-off hitter. I think Judge is the closest thing to it just because he gets on base at such a high clip and you want your best hitters getting up there.

It was something I kind of felt in the moment, slept on and felt like I wanted to flip it up a little bit. At that time, I only had two lefties in my lineup, so it bumped Rizzo down. Kept the lefties in that 3-7, not wanting to give easy strings of right, right, right, right, right trying to have a little bit of balance.

Today I have three lefties in there. You guys hear me talk about balance all the time. I kind of get obsessed about that a little bit, especially against certain opponents more than anything.

Q. Did you think it had a residual effect on him?

AARON BOONE: No. I don't. I don't. No.

Q. What's the alternative if you can't play tonight?

AARON BOONE: Tomorrow.

Q. Will it be like the last time?

AARON BOONE: I'm sure we'll walk through all those things. Anything is on the table but tomorrow would be it.