New York Yankees fans react to manager Aaron Boone placing Aaron Judge in team’s ‘Mount Rushmore,’ instead of all-time greats: "No Mickey Mantle?"
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone is already derided by much of the team's fanbase. Thus, his answer to an impossible question isn't likely to gain him many new followers.
Prior to a recent game, Boone was asked what his "Mount Rushmore" of Yankees baseball would be. Mount Rushmore is a term bandied about to name the four greatest participants in any particular subject.
How can one distill 121 years of Yankees history that includes a .570 winning percentage, 58 playoff appearances, 40 American League pennants, and 27 World Series championships down to the four greatest players? No team in MLB comes close to matching that.
Aaron Boone names his Yankees Mount Rushmore with very little hesitation:
Babe Ruth
Lou Gehrig
Aaron Judge
Derek Jeter
(via @See_Hendo) https://t.co/vmHrlF7qYa
However, Aaron Boone gave it a shot and included one of his current New York Yankees players in his list: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Derek Jeter, and Aaron Judge.
While the first two players on the list are pretty much givens, and Derek Jeter could be argued for, Judge's inclusion certainly raised some eyebrows.
After all, Boone's list did leave off the one player that many consider to be the greatest Yankee of all time — Mickey Mantle.
@TalkinYanks @See_Hendo No Mickey Mantle?
@TalkinYanks @See_Hendo No Mantle is wild
For many New York Yankees fans, Aaron Boone's list is largely laughable. Much like in the actual Mount Rushmore, there have been some great presidents since George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Theodore Roosevelt were carved into the side of a rock face in Keystone, South Dakota between 1925 and 1941.
But none of those presidents are on Mount Rushmore. It's the same with the Yankees' Mount Rushmore.
@TalkinYanks @See_Hendo Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle
@TalkinYanks @See_Hendo Theres one Yankee Mt. Rushmore and it will likely never change. Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio and Mantle. No one else cones close. The next 4 are Berra, Jeter, Rivera, Ford.
@TalkinYanks @See_Hendo No modern player is ever likely to replace Ruth, Gehrig, or Mantle.
Realistically, Joe D., as well, except he suffers from having almost no living people having seen him play. He used to be called the Greatest Living Player, and even Ted Williams agreed.
The problem for Aaron Boone and anyone else trying to distill Gotham's greatest is that there have just been too many New York Yankees greats. They just need to carve several Mount Rushmores by eras.
@TalkinYanks @See_Hendo Yankees Rushmore is impossible. Need to split it by eras. Classic Era - Ruth, Mantle. DiMaggio. Gehrig.
Modern Era: Rivera, Jeter, Clemens, Judge
@TalkinYanks @See_Hendo Jeter has most hits in Yankees history. 5 rings. Rejuvenated the franchise back from a tough 80s stretch. And was most popular player on team and league for majority of his career. You can argue talent where he is. But putting him top 4 for a Rushmore discussion is pretty fair
@TalkinYanks @See_Hendo Love Judge but his not there yet maybe in a couple years.
Of course, if the Yankees could have several Mount Rushmores, they could carve up a few Mount Leastmores as well. Let's face it, not everyone wearing pinstipes has been a player for the ages.
@TalkinYanks @See_Hendo Shelley Duncan
Carl Pavano
Troy Tulowitzki
Aaron Hicks
Aaron Boone giving some love to one of his own New York Yankees players
Of course, you can't exactly blame Boone for giving Judge some love as one of the modern Yankees greats that he actually manages.
Judge did break the American League all-time single-season home run record with 62 round trippers last season. In doing so, he topped two former Yankee greats. The previous record of 61 was set by New York outfielder Roger Maris in 1961, who broke the previous mark of 60 that was set in 1927 by timeless Yankees performer George Herman Ruth.