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

Chicago Cubs Linked to Former Cy Young Award Winner To Bolster Rotation

Getty The Chicago Cubs could still make a splash in MLB free agency. The Chicago Cubs finished the 2025 season at 92-70 and five games behind the…

SF Giants fan-favorite player to take a break from pro career in 2026

Mar 18, 2025; Scottsdale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco Giants Pablo Sandoval gets ready for a game against the San Diego Padres at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick…

Jacob deGrom could be traded this summer

After trading five players—Gavin Fien, Alejandro Rosario, Devin Fitz-Gerald, Yeremy Cabrera, and Abimelec Ortiz—to acquire pitcher Mackenzie Gore, the Texas Rangers will certainly be looking to go…

Cardinals Make 3 More Roster Cuts as Spring Training Winds Down

Feb 17, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bruce Zimmermann (54). Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images The St. Louis Cardinals have…

Red Sox Hurler Tabbed for Breakout Season After Trade From Pirates

Sep 16, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; A hat and glove belonging to Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Jared Triolo (not pictured) on the field against the Chicago Cubs…

Astros Eye Red Sox Outfielder for a Game-Changing Roster Move

IMAGE: Imagn Images As Opening Day approaches, the Houston Astros find themselves with a couple of roster puzzles to solve. They need to clear up their infield…