Aaron Boone Explains Why Joey Gallo Didn't Work Out in New York
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NEW YORK — Yankees manager Aaron Boone stood by struggling outfielder Joey Gallo throughout his entire tenure in New York, through the lowest of lows.
On Tuesday afternoon, after Gallo was dealt to the Dodgers ahead of the trade deadline, Boone spoke about the slugger's departure, wishing Gallo the best in his new home.
"It's been a tough calendar year for him," Boone said in a somber tone. "I have a lot of respect for him and a lot of respect for how he worked, how he carried himself, who he was in that room. I think a lot of us really feel for the situation he was in and the burden he felt and carried. I think a lot of us, myself included, very much hope that he goes and kind of recaptures what we all know he's capable of doing. I'll truly be rooting for him from afar."
Gallo struck out 194 times in 501 plate appearances with the Yankees since he was acquired last summer. In that span, he hit .159/.291/.368 with 25 home runs, 46 RBI and 77 walks in 140 games played.
The 28-year-old was never able to win over the crowd, a ruthless fan base that booed him off the field at Yankee Stadium on a nightly basis. He had a few flashes in the pan where he was able to hit the ball out of the ballpark, but just never found a semblance of consistency with this club.
Asked if Gallo's inability to produce was more a result of mechanical issues or the way he was treated in this market as his numbers began to spiral, Boone said it was a mixture of the two.
"I think that burden and that pressure, whatever you want to say, probably impacted mechanical things that need to go on when you are in the box," the skipper explained. "I think it's probably a little bit of a combination where he never quite got over the hump of just going in there and being himself in that kind of relaxed state."
The pressure to produce in a pennant race won't go away for Gallo, who now joins another team with World Series aspirations. He'll have a fresh start, though, a chance to earn playing time in Los Angeles' talented lineup.
Gallo isn't the first player that didn't pan out in pinstripes. He won't be the last. That doesn't mean Gallo—or any other player that fails to produce in this market—isn't cut out for New York.
Boone explained that the organization does their homework on every player they're interested in acquiring before signing off on a deal. Their makeup is a pivotal component, beyond their ability between the lines.
Sometimes things just don't work out, Boone said.
"It's baseball, sometimes," he said. "Now, I think clearly this place had an adverse effect on Joey. ... We always judge somebody's results around it being here and I don't think that's necessarily always the case."
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