Small Ball Has Finally Found its Way into Boone's Strategy Book

Wow, we actually are witnessing small ball in the Yankee lineup. “Mr. I love a home run”, AKA Aaron Boone cracked open a new chapter into his strategy book. And it called for DJ LeMahieu to bunt, the team to execute hit and runs and play single-fest with early scoring. The Yankees demonstrated that they don’t actually need the long ball to win games and guess what it was just as exciting to watch.

“Not that I expect us to be a team that’s bunting a lot or stealing bases a lot — it’s not necessarily our personnel,” Boone said after the Yankees reached a season-high-tying 26 games over .500. “But we have guys that can play that game. There are certain times you have to do little things on a diamond to help you win a ballgame,” reported the New York Post.

In a Monday night game where Juan Soto was back in the lineup, and Aaron Judge had the night off, the Yankees were fearless on the base paths and mighty with the bunt; bunting three times before the fourth inning, executing two of them flawlessly. To say that you don’t expect the Yankees to be a bunting team is just immature. They are ball players; bunting and stealing are fundamental to the game. Let them play that game. Maybe they will have less injuries.

“The bunt show was only just beginning. In the fourth, LeMahieu knocked a one-out single before Trent Grisham attempted to bunt but got plunked on the foot. The next batter, Jahmai Jones, successfully got the bunt down to set the table for Jose Trevino, who came through with a two-run single that helped the Yankees pull away,” reported the New York Post. When you keep the opposing team guessing, you are doing your job. And you make the game interesting. How about that?

Carlos Rodon pitched a gem of a game on Monday night and the Yankees found a way to win behind him. That is good baseball. And the way the game needs to be played. Strategy is important but culture is key. As legendary management consultant Peter Drucker said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” And the Yankees can win with the right attitude, despite some of the blundering strategies Boone typically prescribes. 

Bottom line, small ball belongs in any team’s lineup, even ones with big bats. It puts stress on the opposing team’s defense, causing them to have to be on their toes or even to make misplays. Small ball is back, and I hope for the team’s sake it stays. 

–Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof