MLB WORLD SERIES: YANKEES VS DODGERS

October 30, 2024

Aaron Boone

Yankee Stadium

New York Yankees

Postgame 5 Press Conference

Dodgers - 7, Yankees - 6

AARON BOONE: I understand the clubhouse was supposed to be open a while ago, and I apologize for that. I talked to you through the postseason and this World Series just about the closeness of that room. Really that's what it was all about, just guys pouring their hearts out and being there for one another, loving each other, because obviously this is a very difficult moment for us.

You get to this point, as I said to the guys, obviously it stings now. But this is going to sting forever. There were just a lot of heartfelt messages to each other. So I apologize for that.

I congratulate the Dodgers and Dave on winning it all. They were the better team in this series, but it doesn't take away my pride in this group, what we've been through, what they've gone through, what they've battled through, and the togetherness they have. That's what that delay was about.

Q. If you could please take us through your perception of the plays in the fifth inning, the Judge ball, covering first, and Volpe throwing to third, please.

AARON BOONE: Yeah, just we didn't take care of the ball well enough in that inning. Against a great team like that, they took advantage. It looked like just kind of that sinking liner that just Judgey missed.

The play to Volpe, the right move obviously going to third, a little bit of a short hop over there at to third, didn't complete the play.

And then Mookie hits a squibber so Rizz couldn't really run through it. He kind of had to stay there and make sure he secured the catch because of the spin on the ball. And I think Gerrit just -- all that he went through in that inning, kind of spent and kind of almost working his way out of it, just didn't react quick enough to get over.

Q. Do you think Judge -- was there lights, anything that caught -- or was it just not catching the ball?

AARON BOONE: I haven't gone there with him yet.

Q. With Gerrit on that play, do you think he may have thought it was going foul by chance?

AARON BOONE: I don't know. I think -- no, I think there's an element of just that could have -- a reactionary thing in the moment. I think part of it just being spent that inning and exuding so much energy to kind of almost work out of it, and then just the quick flinch of delay with a guy like Mookie running costs you.

Thinking where it was -- and typically it's a ball the first baseman is going to be able to take. But because of the spin, Rizz had to make sure you kind of secure it. It's hard to run through that ball that's spinning like that.

Q. This is your seventh year as a Yankees manager. You came this close to a World Series. What is this like for you personally to get this close and come up short?

AARON BOONE: I mean, I'm heartbroken. It doesn't take away my pride of what that room means to me and what that group forged this year and what we've been through to get here.

But I'm heartbroken. I'm heartbroken, and I'm heartbroken for those guys that poured so much into this. The ending is cruel. It always is.

I haven't had that feeling of being -- celebrating and going home. Like many of the guys in there, I'm 51. I poured my life into that. You're chasing that, and when you get that close, it's heartbreaking.

Q. Aaron, do you think some of these fundamental kind of things hovered over your team all year when it came to executing like a 3-1 play in a big game like this?

AARON BOONE: I don't know, a 3-1 play, I think from a PFP standpoint we're pretty good. It's always magnified when obviously in a moment it doesn't happen. I'd have to look for sure, but from a pitching standpoint, we're pretty good at those kinds of things.

Those are tough plays to be super consistent at, especially when you have 12, 15, at times 20 different pitchers kind of rolling through with different skill sets. Some we work hard at. Obviously we had a rough inning tonight.

Q. How would you just as a whole sum up Gerrit's performance tonight?

AARON BOONE: Awesome. Really brilliant. I thought he had great command. I thought he was in complete command of his emotions, which translated -- or just of his nerves and the calm he had out there, which showed up right away in his command of all his pitches. I mean, he was dotting it and featuring everything. Featured the change-up a little bit tonight.

But had a little bit of everything going. I just thought he controlled the moment and the evening so very well. Obviously he got in a tough situation in that fifth inning and handled it so well. I don't know how many he had to -- how many pitches he had to throw to get out of it. I know it was a lot.

And then to still be able to go back out there and give us another good inning in the sixth and be able to go out there for a few more batters in the seventh, I thought he was brilliant.

Q. Aaron, the Mookie play gets you to Freeman. How difficult an out was he throughout this series?

AARON BOONE: Yeah, he hurt us big time without question. Kind of hobbled into this series. We weren't sure what we were going to see. From the jump obviously, he was Freddie Freeman at the plate. He hurt us.

Q. Is your empathy for your players tonight greater because you went through this as a player?

AARON BOONE: I'm a product of my experiences, so maybe that feeling in 2003 of -- I can still see the Marlins and hear the Marlins celebrating on our field, and it was one of the most painful moments that I've experienced.

2019 in Houston was super painful.

This with this group -- I keep saying it, the closeness of this group, just heartbroken for the room.

Q. Just two questions, Aaron. How would you reflect on having a year of Juan Soto?

AARON BOONE: Just an absolute privilege. As great a player -- and in just talking to him before I walked in here, he was that good a person too with us. It was fun getting to know his family a little bit. I consider him family now. He was just so easy to manage. Just somebody I have a lot of admiration for and a lot of respect for.

I hope he's here forever, but I also know I'm excited for him and what the next few months are for him. But from my standpoint, I couldn't have asked for better.

Q. And you have a team option on your deal. When do you start thinking about your own future?

AARON BOONE: I don't know.

Q. I know this has just ended.

AARON BOONE: We'll see. I don't know.