Aaron Boone
The walk-off home run Aaron John Boone hit to decide the 2003 American League Championship Series stands as the defining moment of his playing career — a single swing that brought one of the most consequential postseason games to a close.
Boone was born on March 9, 1973, in La Mesa, and attended Villa Park High School before going on to the University of Southern California. He entered Major League Baseball as an infielder in 1997 and played in the league for thirteen seasons, through 2009. That span of professional play culminated in the 2003 postseason, when his walk-off home run in the American League Championship Series drew widespread attention and cemented his place in the memory of the sport's followers.
Following his playing career, Boone worked as a baseball commentator before transitioning to the managerial side of the game. He currently serves as the manager of the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball, a role that connects him once again to the organization at the center of that 2003 postseason moment. His career has moved across three distinct professional roles — infielder, commentator, and manager — each grounded in the sport he has engaged with since his days at the University of Southern California.
Quotes by Aaron Boone
Aaron Boone's insights on:
The idea of going over to NFL Europe is to get some game experience, develop as a player, and I feel like that's what I did. I went over there and showed that I can play at this level. Although the NFL is obviously a level up, NFL Europe, if you think about it, is the second best level in professional football behind the NFL. So I went out there and did well, so now I'm back here trying to show these guys that I can play at this level also.
These guys stuck with me. They walk the walk and talk the talk better than anyone I've ever seen.
The ultimate is to win the World Series and they deserve the right to celebrate that and honor that season.
If I do what I expect I'll do and Andy does what he's expected to do, there will be a place for both of us. If you have a young, talented kid who is ready at a certain point, it gives them (Indians officials) some options.
I don't know, I've never gotten off to one. It's a long, long, long year. It's definitely nice.
He's just a good dude that plays the game right. Grady just has a great way about him. First off, he's a great player, and he's going to be a great player in this league for a long time. He'll be one of those guys that doesn't really change, other than he'll be able to afford a few more things.
