Yankees manager Aaron Boone complains of loud Phillies fans
By Matt Rappa
Yankees manager Aaron Boone, Joe Girardi’s successor, was not happy about what the few Phillies fans outside Citizens Bank Park were doing on Thursday
Philadelphia Phillies fans may not be able to attend games in-person inside Citizens Bank Park, but their presence is surely still being seen, heard, and felt — so much so, it warranted a complaint from New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone to umpires in Thursday evening’s series finale.
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Since Opening Day on July 24 against the Miami Marlins — and even before that in summer camp — a handful of Phillies fans have congregated just beyond the centerfield Ashburn Alley gates. We have seen fans bring ladders to get a good view, bang drums, you name it. But, the self-dubbed “Phandemic Krew’s” air horn used during a half-inning where the Yankees were batting was the last straw, at least for Boone.
Following the frame, Boone went out to talk to umpires about the distracting noise. With word traveling fast, fans soon learned that Boone complained about their presence and use of an air horn; they were then heard yelling, “Boone, you suck!” notes MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone is apparently NOT a fan of the airhorn that Phillies' fans have outside the ballpark and complained. 😂 pic.twitter.com/tafCDeqLkZ
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) August 6, 2020
The 47-year-old Boone is the son of former great 1980 World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies catcher Bob Boone — a seven-time Gold Glove Award winner and four-time All-Star.
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Entering Thursday’s game against his dad’s former team, Boone had won 212 of his first 335 games as Yankees manager since he replaced current Phillies skipper Joe Girardi following the 2017 season. Boone won 100 games in his first season at the helm, followed by three more in 2019 (103); he has a career .500 winning percentage as manager in the postseason (7-7).
Aaron Boone explained that he discussed the air horn at Citizens Bank Park with the umpires. His complaint was the timing of the horn because "in the environment we're in, it's like a golf environment..." Was told they could do nothing about it since fans are outside the ballpark
— Marly Rivera (@MarlyRiveraESPN) August 7, 2020
If the Phillies fans’ goal was to get in the heads of the Yankees on Thursday, their mission surely was accomplished.