BREAKING: Is Aaron Boone’s ‘Grady Little Moment’ in the World Series the Final Straw for the Yankees?

Aaron Boone

Did New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone just have his “Grady Little moment”?

Two outs from winning Game 1 of the World Series 3-2 on Friday night, Boone turned to left-handed pitcher Nestor Cortes, who hadn‘t pitched in 37 days, to save the game by facing the top of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ order.

It failed miserably — and could raise uncomfortable questions about Boone’s job security if the Yankees do not win the World Series.

Although Cortes got Shohei Ohtani to fly out in foul territory for the second out, the Yankees walked Mookie Betts to load the bases to pitch to Freddie Freeman, who proceeded to launch a walk-off grand slam. Dodgers 6, Yankees 3 in 10 innings.

On Thursday‘s ESPN “Baseball Tonight” podcast, MLB insider Buster Olney was asked which manager, Boone or the Dodgers’ Dave Roberts, was more “vulnerable” in terms of his job security. While Olney thought both were safe and would get extensions in the offseason, he left one caveat — the type that played out Friday.

“I think they are equally vulnerable,” Olney said. “It sounds like a cop-out but I think they are in a really great position now that they‘ve reached the World Series. … The Yankees getting back to World Series for the first time since 2009.

“(But) I do think that if there‘s a Grady Little moment. Like if there’s one major decision in a big spot that turns out to be decisive, that fuels talk radio, especially for Aaron Boone. Then, yeah, potentially that manager could be more vulnerable.”

Boone turned to Cortes, who last pitched Sept. 18, over Tim Hill, a funky left-handed reliever with a 3.36 ERA in the regular season and one earned run allowed in 5 2/3 innings in the postseason. Additionally, he was a player who at least had been pitching in competitive games, unlike Cortes who was resting and rehabbing his flexor tendon strain (which will likely require surgery) over the past month-plus.

In Game 7 of the 2003 AL Championship Series, former Boston Red Sox manager Grady Little kept in Pedro Martinez in the eighth inning against the Yankees with a 5-2 lead. Five batters later, the score was 5-5 and the Yankees would win via an 11th-inning Boone home run to knock out Boston, ultimately losing to the Marlins in the World Series.

The decision that drew heavy criticism was keeping Martinez in at 115 pitches with one batter on and left-handed slugger Hideki Matsui up, five outs from advancing to the World Series. The score was 5-3. Little could have called on lefty Alan Embree. Instead, Matsui hit a double and Jorge Posada doubled to score two more. The rest, as they say, was history.

Little was fired less than two weeks later, though the Red Sox say his insistence on a multi-year deal played a factor.

Related Posts

GIANTS PREDICTED TO MAKE CONTROVERSIAL POWER MOVE: They’re Set to Replace Tony Vitello With Former Padres Manager – Snubbing Beloved Ron Washington in a Decision That’s Already Igniting Fan Fury and Massive Backlash!

The ѕаn Frаncіѕco Gіаntѕ аre underwаy іn theіr fіrѕt ѕeаѕon wіth Tony Vіtello аt the helm. Vіtello wаѕ а ѕurрrіѕіng hіre by the Gіаntѕ іn the fаll,…

CONTROVERSIAL TAKE EXPLODES: Astros Boast the AL’s “Best” All-Around Offense Led by Yordan Alvarez… But This Bold Claim Is Already Sparking Fierce Debate and Dividing Fans Across Baseball!

Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (44) motions towards the dugout after hitting a home run during the third inning against the Boston Red Sox at Daikin Park….

Jacob deGrom LOOKS UNSTOPPABLE in Rangers Debut – Starts Sharp and Filthy… But the One Brutal Truth Everyone’s Whispering Is He Still Has MASSIVE Room to Grow, and It Could Change Everything!

Texаѕ Rаngerѕ ріtcher Jаcob deGrom. | Dаnіel Kucіn Jr.-іmаgn іmаgeѕ The fіrѕt аt-bаt wаѕ vіntаge Jаcob deGrom. He needed juѕt four ріtcheѕ to tаke cаre of Bаltіmore…

CARDINALS JUST PROVED IT: Matthew Liberatore’s Dominant Start Means They Don’t Need Sonny Gray Anymore – Bold Statement or Disaster Waiting to Happen?

Apr 1, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore (32) pitches against the New York Mets during the first inning at Busch…

DEVASTATING BLOW: Red Sox Star Triston Casas Brutally Shut Down With Shocking Injury Setback – Season in Jeopardy

Trіѕton Cаѕаѕ іѕ currently on the 10-dаy іL аѕ he іѕ ѕtіll recoverіng from а left раtellаr tendon іnjury he ѕuffered eаrly іn the 2025 ѕeаѕon. Unfortunаtely,…

🚨 NIGHTMARE START: White Sox’s Home Opener Crumbles Amidst Disastrous Beginning — Can They Turn It Around Before It’s Too Late? 👇 White Sox Home Opener: A Rough Start Has Shattered the Hopes for a Perfect Opening — Full Breakdown of What Went Wrong and What’s Next for Chicago.

The Chicago White Sox were supposed to welcome fans back to Rate Field on Thursday with a fresh start, a clean slate, and the kind of optimism…