Tuesday saw the first-ever swing-off at the MLB All-Star Game.
Instead of a tie or the game going to extra innings, MLB and the players' union agreed that if the Midsummer Classic was tied after nine innings, the game would be decided by a home run derby. Of course, it wouldn't be like the one fans saw on Monday night but it gave an electric finish to an entertaining contest.
Each manager chose three batters to take three swings. Whoever had more homers was deemed the winner and Kyle Schwarber led the National League to victory on Tuesday.
But one question remained: how did each league's managers — especially Aaron Boone — choose who would be hitting?
Well, the Yankees skipper made it clear how that process went.
"We had to pick our guys yesterday," Boone said after the game. "Wanted to make sure I picked guys I knew would be in the game there and still hot. That was my choice."
Boone's choice of three hitters was the Athletics' Brent Rooker, the Mariners' Randy Arozarena and the Rays' Jonathan Aranda. Interesting choices, for sure.
Rooker put on a show in Monday's Home Run Derby, hitting 17 bombs and missing out on the second round because eventual winner, Cal Raleigh hit a ball less than a foot further. The Athletics outfielder has 20 homers this season, which is eighth in the AL. Arozarena has 17, which is 15th in the league but Aranda has only 11 this season.
Where was Aaron Judge? Where was Junior Caminero, who was the Home Run Derby runner-up?
As Boone explained, he wanted players who were playing in the later innings as they were more warmed up and ready to go. So that means starters who play 3-4 innings are not available.
"We weren’t going to switch. We picked our players yesterday, then it was just the matter of picking the order," Boone said when asked about planning for the All-Star Game. "You have a plan going in. You know the starters are playing half the game, you got a couple of guys nursing through some things so you're protecting a couple of guys too and keeping it shorter for them. You plan for that going in."
Even if Boone had his full roster available, it may not have mattered. Schwarber did what he does best, hitting three bombs with his three swings, and clinching the win without Pete Alonso having to take a swing.
The Yankees skipper was impressed by the swing-off performance even if he wasn't surprised.
"I'm not shocked, especially after he clipped the first one," he said. "You get that first one under your belt. He put three great swings on it…I saw him nodding his head and he did Schwarber-type things."
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