Former MLB baseman Sean Casey was working at MLB Network as an analyst when his phone rang. He heard a familiar voice from the other hand, and it was none other than his ex-teammate, Aaron Boone. The New York Yankees skipper dialed him up with an exciting job offer, a kind Casey could not say no to.
Just as the All-Star break kicked off, the Yankees made a bold move by firing then-hitting coach Dillon Lawson with immediate effect. It was the first time Brian Cashman had sacked someone mid-season in his general manager tenure. But the 2023 MLB season has been nothing previously seen. Hence, Sean Casey, through strong influence from Boone, was hired as the interim hitting coach for the rest of the season.
Sean Casey Enjoys the New Role With Yankees, Uncertain About Future!
When the New York Yankees appointed Sean Casey as the interim hitting coach, many raised doubts due to the latter’s lack of coaching experience. However, Casey’s 14-year-long baseball experience was good enough to make a strong case for him. Having said that, the coach took time to settle in. He admitted that his head was spinning for the first couple of weeks. But, gradually, Sean began to enjoy the process of connecting with similar baseball minds. Casey’s idea was to connect with each player on a personal level to build trust and address their struggles. It worked with Anthony Volpe and DJ LeMahieu as they witnessed an offensive surge and credited the coach for the same.
Having said that, will these one or two cases of success be enough to secure a long-term contract for Sean Casey? Apparently, the coach is not thinking about the future just yet. He is just living in the present and wants to enjoy every day in the Yankee clubhouse. When the decision time finally knocks at his doors, he’ll evaluate what he wants his future to look like. However, the numbers don’t add up in Casey’s favor. The difference between the offensive stats from the pre and post-Casey era looks more or less similar. But the players love him at the same time. Aaron Judge, DJ LeMahieu, and Aaron Boone have lauded the coach’s efforts so far and seem happy with his way of connecting with each one up close. It remains to be seen how much confidence the front office has in him.
Former World Series Champion Opines That Aaron Boone’s Firing Would Send Out The Wrong Message!
Amid speculations over Aaron Boone’s future with the New York Yankees, former World Series champion pitcher Curt Schilling weighed his thoughts. Curt believes firing Boone would be the worst possible thing the Yanks can do in this situation. He has been able to establish what many modern-day skippers failed to do, which is to build trust with the players.
The pitcher added, saying the players in the Yankee clubhouse love him and would even take a bullet for him. Moreover, the 2023 MLB season’s downfall should fall on the players’ shoulders and not on Boone’s. The roster was soft and fell prey to injuries. That’s the only reason they could not win this season. But Curt still trusts the skipper to lead the Yankees to a championship at some point.