Boone On Finally Taking Yankees To World Series As Skipper: "Just really proud of this group"

 

The Yankees celebrate after the final out. @Yankees.

The Yankees clinched a spot in the World Series on Saturday night with their 5-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians in 10 innings in Game 5 of the ALCS, winning the series four games to one.

For Yankees Manager Aaron Boone, it was a long wait, as they finally won an American League pennant in his seventh year at the helm. He has led the Yankees 603 regular season wins, reached the ALCS a couple of times, which they lost both times to the Houston Astros, and a pair of seasons in which they won at least 100 games, 2018 and '19, but this was the missing piece of a near-perfect resume. 

On Saturday night, Boone spoke of the long journey to reach this moment, "It's amazing. It really is. You pour so much into it all year, not just the baseball season. It doesn't stop in the winter, in the spring. You pour so much into it, and I couldn't be more proud to do it with this organization.

"The Steinbrenner family has been amazing to me. Getting to work with Brian Cashman who's been amazing to me and all his front office, and then the guys I get to go to work with every day, my coaches and these players, that's why you do it.

"We've had some great groups, some great camaraderie, some great clubhouses. This group is as close as I've ever seen, and they trust each other. They lean on each other. They love each other. They play for each other. Those are special things to have in a team sport."

Boone has been to the World Series as a player, in 2003, after he hit the game-winning home run in Game 7 of the ALCS to beat the still-Cursed Red Sox. 

The Yankees have only been in one since then, in 2009, when they beat the Philadelphia Phillies for their fifth championship since 1996.

Boone was asked in a separate what it feels like to take the Yankees to their first World Series in 15 years, and he said, "I mean, it sounds good when you say it like that. I mean, a lot of emotions. Just really proud of this group, proud of this organization. To get to do it with these guys every single day and what they have is special. Just going to look forward to it in the next couple days see who we play. I keep saying we get to play for a World Championship now. That's pretty sweet."

The Los Angeles Dodgers lead the Mets 3-2 in the NLCS, with Game 6 on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium. Boone was asked if he has any thoughts on what's next and he said, "Whatever. I'm looking forward to sitting on my couch in my pajamas in my basement watching three TVs, watching a little NFL with my son tomorrow and fire up the barbecue and watch the Mets and Dodgers and see how that unfolds and then we'll start to get to work Monday or Tuesday."

The Yankees offense was provided by Giancarlo Stanton's two-run home run in the sixth inning and Juan Soto's three-run shot in the tenth. Boone said of those massive home runs, "Giancarlo you can't put a ball any better than that. That's as good a swing that you can put on a ball, and then Juan just an at-bat for the ages. He's kind of taken some funky swings, spoiling things, and just kind of outlasting him. It's not surprising either that he does it. It is like that's who he is. He's so good at seizing the moment. Just some really good at-bats- Austin Wells, the walk (in the 10th) to get things going to kind of set them up, just a meaningful day."

Stanton said of the at-bat that led to his game-tying home run, "Yeah, I went down 0-2. Not the best swing and miss - oh, two swing and misses. I was able to battle back to 3-2, and then he left one hanging, and I took care of it."

The slugger was named the ALCS MVP and he was asked what he's going to do with the MVP trophy, "I'm going to take it home. I'm going to take it home. No, this is something special for me. Yeah, I'll put it in the trophy case and enjoy the memory."

Boone said of what Soto has brought to the Yankees in his first season in pinstripes, "Incredible, and just such an ability to seize the moment. Every big moment that he finds himself in the middle, he delivered over and over and over again for us. Obviously he put up an amazing season statistically speaking, but in the biggest moments, that's what he does, and it shouldn't be taken for granted."

On what he has learned most about Soto this season that enables him to be so clutch, Boone said, "Yeah, how much he cares about his craft. He loves the game of baseball. That's usually a common trait for great players. Not everyone loves it, loves it like Juan Soto does or like a lot of our guys do.

"He loves it. He loves the preparation, I think the physical preparation it takes in the winter. He loves the preparation and the skill development. He takes pride in - we know him as this great hitter, but he takes pride in his defense and running he bases and being a complete player, and he invests in that, and he's just been a great teammate, too.

"He's just easy to be around. You bring a superstar player in, how he's going to look, what he's going to be like. No, he's just one of the guys. That's been rewarding to see, man, I don't have to go out of my way to worry about him. He's good. I feel like I've developed a great relationship with him, but he's one of the guys."