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Randy Miller | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

It's still too early to tell if Yankees general manager Brian Cashman made the right or wrong moves with those two controversial manager decisions that followed a fun 2017 baseball season.

We may not get the answer for years.

For sure, the decision to dump proven winner Joe Girardi following a long and surprising playoff run with a youngish ballclub was gutsy, then hiring Aaron Boone as the successor with no coaching or managing experience at any level was as risky as anything Cashman has done in his two decades of running the Yanks.

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Almost a full season into Boone's rookie year as a big-league skipper, what stands out most is the Yankees' 90-56 record.

If you’re no fan of Boone, you’ll probably point out that the Yankees haven’t been good enough to challenge the Boston Red Sox in the AL East.

That’s true, but give the 100-46 Red Sox a ton of credit for reeling of one of the best regular seasons in history.

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Besides, 90-56 will get the Yankees in the playoffs as a Wild Card, and they're on pace for their first 100-win season since 2009.

All the Yanks need is a 10-6 finish to get to 100, which by the way would be a 10-game jump from 2017.

Also, these two clubs judge their seasons on what happens in October, and in case you forgot, the Red Sox lost their Division Series last year after winning the division while the Yankees went from playing in the Wild Card game to Game 7 of the ALCS.

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How much credit does Boone deserve for the Yankees being where they are?

We’re going to dive into that by examining all areas that a manager can impact a team … his lineups, pitching decisions, player relationships, handling crisis, etc.

Here is what we’ve seen from Boone so far:

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Mitchell Layton | Getty Images

Motivation

Managers don't give rah-rah speeches to teams before games.

This isn't football.

Boone definitely does motivate his players though with a few words here and there at the batting cage before games, in the dugout during games and on the mound when he’s making pitching changes.

And as we mentioned earlier, Boone always is pushing his players by telling them over and over (during one-on-one talks and through the media) that this team has the pieces in place to win the World Series this year.

Grade: B+

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Jim McIsaac | Getty Images

Handling starting pitchers

Luis Severino finally was pitching like an ace again Wednesday night in Minnesota and he gets pulled in the sixth with the Twins up 1-0, two on, two out and his pitch count at 83.

Reliever David Robertson came on and kept it a one-run game, but why not leave Severino in.

It was the sixth inning!

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Last week, J.A. Happ worked six shutout innings in Oakland, then was yanked with his pitch count at 78 and the score tied 1-1. Happ’s been the Yankees’ best starter by a mile since joining them in a late July trade. Why not let him at least start the seventh?

I’m not a fan of the way Boone handles his starting rotation – especially his best starters – but any low grade that I’d give would include an asterisk.

Boone is doing what Yankees management wants. He’s doing what the analytics tell him.

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On Wednesday night, the analytics probably indicated that the Yankees had better odds to get out of the sixth down just a run by bringing in Robertson to face Twins No. 3 hitter Eddie Rosario than for Severino to face him for a third time.

I get it, but I’m old school and I still think starters, especially the good ones, shouldn’t be pulled from 1-0 games in the sixth inning with a low pitch count.

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It’s one thing to have a quick hook when Sonny Gray is trailing 3-1 after three innings – that occurred Tuesday night in Minnesota - but Severino and Happ will end up with 18 or 19 wins apiece.

Let ‘em pitch a little longer.

I understand the Yankees have one of the best and deepest bullpens in baseball, but I’d like to see Boone making decisions on when to lift his starter based on how he’s throwing that particular day rather than what the analytics show.

Grade: C-

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MLB magic numbers, remaining schedules for contenders

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Julie Jacobson | AP

Handling bullpen

I’ll be frank here:

I think the Boone and the Yankees baby their relievers to the point that they get too much rest.

I know that I just mentioned that I think the Yankees top starters don’t pitch enough, but Boone had eight relievers in his bullpen for most of the season – eight! – and almost all of them went long stretches without pitching on multiple occasions.

Did the Yankees really need A.J. Cole, who pitched two or three times a month for half the season?

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Carrying seven relievers would have been plenty … and it would have freed up a roster spot for an extra position player such as outfielder Clint Frazier (when he was healthy).

Also, I’m totally against Boone managing as if there’s a script for using or not using his so-called high-leverage relievers.

On Aug. 22 in Miami, Boone admitted opting to give inexperienced rookie Chance Adams a second career outing instead of young star Chad Green because the Yankees were trailing by two runs instead of one after 7 ½ innings.

When Boone was suspended for a game on the Yankees’ last homestand, bench coach Josh Bard said that he followed the game-plan managing a game in which he brought in rookie Stephen Tarpley for his second career game instead of Green because the Yankees trailed Detroit by three runs after eight innings instead of two.

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Both bullpen decisions backfired, as the rookies were torched for seven runs over a combined 2 1/3 innings in those two Yankees losses.

If Green had pitched both games, maybe the Yankees win or two of them. Losing both might be the difference between the Yankees playing their Wild Card playoff game in Oakland instead or at Yankee Stadium.

Again, I’ll spare Boone the blame here.

A lot of Boone’s bullpen decisions are what management wants.

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The Yankees want their best arms as fresh as possible for the postseason. I get it.

The Yankees think fewer innings and more rest will lead to fewer injuries. I get it.

But there’s no guarantee a fresh reliever won’t get hurt. Adam Warren was on the DL before getting traded and closer Aroldis Chapman has been shelved for a month.

Also, a lot of relievers think they’re better getting a lot of work.

It’s not easy managing bullpens, but Boone has an easier job than almost all of his colleagues because few others have as many weapons as the Yankees.

Grade: C-

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Ron Schwane | AP

Dealings with umpires

Boone showed that he has a tough side during his occasional altercations with umpires, which led to two well-earned ejections.

It’s kind of funny seeing Boone lose his temper and really go off on an ump because he’s usually so friendly in his media dealings.

Boone’s latest ejection on Aug. 31 included him squatting like a catcher to make a point while he argued with plate umpire Nic Lentz over balls and strikes. An inning later, the Yankees scored four runs on three homers to erase a 3-0 deficit en route to a comeback win over Detroit.

Clearly, Boone fired the Yankees up when they were down that night.

Grade: A

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Bill Kostroun | AP

In-game managing

What do you do when your starting pitcher suddenly starts losing his stuff in the fifth inning or a reliever comes in and has nothing?

A lot of veteran managers will tell you that games seemed to speed up in their younger years because there frequently would be very little time to think before making crucial decisions that could win or lose a game.

Boone is going through that this season, and it might take him a couple of years before the game slows down for him.

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Taking all of that into account, I don’t have a lot of issues with Boone’s in-game managing.

His pitching decisions don’t always pan out, but they didn’t work out all the time for Joe Torre when he was getting to the playoffs every year and winning four World Series as the Yankees manager.

Like Boone or not as manager, he’s a smart baseball man, he’s always prepared and he always has a logical explanation for all of his in-game decisions.

You may not agree a lot of times - I certainly don’t at times – but Boone isn’t doing things that make him look dumb. He’s not getting outmanaged on regular basis, for sure.

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Besides, it’s important to realize that many of Boone’s decisions are game-planned based on what the Yankees’ analytical department comes up with stats wise.

Boone veers away from analytics to go with his gut only infrequently, but you can’t blame him for that because agreeing to use this information on a regular basis is one of the reasons that he was hired.

Regardless, Boone is making the right moves more often than not. Just look at the Yankees’ record as proof.

Grade: B

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Elsa | Getty Images

Dealings with young players

This Girardi weakness is a strength for Boone.

When rookie stars Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres do something well, Boone pours on the accolades. When they make rookie mistakes, any and all issues that need addressed are done privately.

From being around Boone this season, I sense that he has a great feel on how to deal with the young player and the many mistakes that come from playing them regularly.

Whatever Boone is doing, it’s working.

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Andujar was optioned to Triple-A late in spring training and he’s probably going to be the AL Rookie of the Year. Torres began the season in Triple-A, and he was the Rookie of the Year favorite until he missed three weeks with an injury in July and then slumped for three months after returning.

With Boone managing, Aaron Judge’s second season was going very well until he got hurt, too plus rookie Tyler Austin had a very productive stretch before being demoted and then traded, second-year righty Jonathan Holder has had a breakout season and young outfielder Clint Frazier looked very good at times during his brief call-ups.

A lot of this success is due to natural talent, but Boone’s communication skills and positivity surely hasn’t hurt and probably helped them excel.

Grade: A

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Adam Hunger | Getty Images

Dealing with veterans

It was obvious from the start of spring training that Boone had a big ally in the clubhouse in pitcher CC Sabathia, the Yankees’ oldest player.

They’d been friendly for years and had a tremendous amount of mutual respect.

It’s grown this season.

Boone also seems to have won over the Yankees’ other veterans - Brett Gardner, Neil Walker, David Robertson and Dellin Betances, etc. – with give and take communication that goes into decision making such as starting lineups, rotation setup and bullpen usage.

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Boone also seems to have found time to get to know his veteran players very well – certainly more so than Girardi - and the aftermath of all these baseball and life talks has vets truly believing that they have a very smart manager who is hungry to win.

And you can be sure that message is being passed along to younger players when a vet has to do some clubhouse policing over a lack of hustle or whatever issue needs addressed.

Grade: A

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John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Lineups

Boone prefers keeping regulars in familiar spots and he’s always splitting up his lefties, but I like that he’s not afraid of change … a lot of change.

When the Yankees aren’t hitting or regulars are on the DL, Boone frequently will get creative with his lineups.

For instance, Miguel Andujar, Gleyber Torres and Greg Bird have hit everywhere from third to ninth, Aaron Hicks has hit first through seventh and Neil Walker has been everywhere except second and third.

Boone puts a lot of thought into his lineups and I like the experimenting.

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I give him credit for dropping Brett Gardner from first to ninth against a lot of lefties to lead off Hicks, a switch-hitter.

I give him credit for benching Didi Gregorius two days in a row when he was ice cold in May.

These are decisions that aren’t easy for a rookie manager.

Boone’s critics point out that most regulars get plenty of off days, but these rest days can help keep guys fresh for later in the season and they provide at-bats for bench players who need to stay sharp in case they’re needed for an expanded role due to injuries.

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Also, critics complain that Boone doesn’t always stick with hot hands. For instance, Neil Walker hit two homers an Aug. 9, then was benched on Aug. 10.

Analytics probably played a big role Boone starting still-unknown Luke Voit over Walker that day.

Blame Yankees management for this because, again, management is a huge proponent of analytics.

Grade: B

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Steve Mitchell | USA TODAY Sports

Media relations

Before every game, Boone greets beat writers the same way prior to the start of his pre-game interview. With a smile and enthusiasm, he blurts out, “Good day!”

Boone answers all questions – good and bad – with thoughtful answers and he tries to be as honest as he can. He’s great at breaking down games, which made him perfect for his previous job as a member of the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball broadcast team.

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Also, Boone will explain his thinking when he gets tough questions about decisions that didn’t work out while very rarely showing any agitation.

And like Joe Girardi but unlike Joe Torre, Boone doesn’t play favorites.

Boone is about as good as it gets with the media, and this probably leads to less criticism in some instances because he’s so likable and such a good quote.

Grade: A+

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Boone vs. Girardi

When you compare the Yankees’ old and new managers, what stands out most is how different their personalities are.

Girardi was more intense and had an old-school edge to his style, and thus there always seemed to be tension around him. He lets his guard down now working as an analyst on the MLB Network, but that’s not who he was as a manager.

Boone is more relaxed, more upbeat, more outgoing. He’s a better communicator in addition to having a tremendous baseball IQ and being a tireless worker.

Both styles can work.

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I like Girardi as a manager and as a person. In fact, I think he deserved to keep his job.

But I also believe Boone was a good hire and whatever was lost with Girardi’s experience was replaced by Boone’s player relationships.

How a manager deals with players in today’s game probably is as important as in-game decisions because you just can’t ruffle feathers like you could when Billy Martin and Dallas Green were managing. Players need their egos stroked nowadays and Girardi not doing it enough in recent years (and especially last season with Gary Sanchez) ultimately was a huge reason Brian Cashman opted for change.

Grade: Incomplete

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Jim McIsaac | Getty Images

Crisis management: Dellin Betances

One of the first issues that Boone had to deal with this season were Betances' early struggles.

Betances had a terrible second half last season after going to his fourth All-Star Game in four full seasons, then he started 2018 with three bad outings in his first six appearances.

With Betances’ ERA at 8.10, he insisted that he’d be fine because he wasn’t walking hitters like he did last season.

Boone said the same thing over and over, and he said it in such a way that he was believable, and very soon it was proven that the Betances doubters were wrong.

Betances blew a game on the Yankees’ last homestand, but he’s mostly been great pitching to a 2.56 ERA over 59 outings.

Grade: A

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Bill Kostroun | AP

Crisis management: Gary Sanchez

Sanchez has been the toughest issue that Boone has had to deal with this season, and it’s an ongoing issue.

Sanchez certainly showed tremendous strengths in his first two big-league seasons, as he was the best hitting catcher and best throwing catcher in the game. All the while, Sanchez’s receiving was a problem.

This year, Sanchez is hitting under .200, he’s not throwing out as many base stealers, he’s spent two months on the DL and his defensive stats again are among the worst in baseball.

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Boone’s response to this very poor season has been relentless insistence that Sanchez is going to be a great hitter again and that his defense is improving.

No surprise there. Management didn’t like Sanchez being called out last season publicly by Joe Girardi, so there’s no way Boone is going to be anything but positive. Management wants it this way, so its rookie manager is going to obey orders.

Grade: D

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Mike Stobe | Getty Images

Crisis management: Greg Bird

Boone acted as if he was Greg Bird’s biggest fan from spring training until a few weeks ago when a lot of offensive failure led to Luke Voit getting a chance to play some first base and making the most of it.

I liked hearing Boone show some toughness by saying “performance matters” after Voit’s breakout series in Baltimore. I also liked seeing Boone start Voit almost every game since over Bird.

It’s easy to say Boone waited too long to sit Bird, but management has been a big believer that he’ll be a star throughout his many serious injuries.

Grade: B

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Julie Jacobson | AP

Crisis management: Sonny Gray

A very good spring for Gray led into what’s mostly been a nightmare season in which the right-hander frequently hasn’t made it through even four or five innings in starts.

Stuck with Gray for a long time, Boone took a positive approach. He kept saying Gray is working hard for a quick fix and that “he has the equipment” to be a standout starting pitcher.

A 2015 AL Cy Young finalist from his time with Oakland, Gray was given chance after chance to get straightened out.

And even though Boone is against starting pitchers having a personal catcher, Boone gave in to Gray, who claims he’s more comfortable pitching to No. 2 catcher Austin Romine than starter Gary Sanchez.

When Gray’s struggles continued and Boone finally was given what looked to be a better option, newcomer Lance Lynn was added to the rotation and Gray was demoted to long relief.

Boone has handled this whole ordeal about as well as he could.

Grade: A

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Noah Murray | AP

Crisis management: Injuries

Aaron Boone never made excuses when a bunch of his best players were lost to injuries.

The Yankees haven’t been playing great baseball of late – they are 8-9 in their last 17 after losing 3-1 in Minnesota on Wednesday night - but Aaron Judge and Aroldis Chapman have been on the DL, and Gary Sanchez and Didi Gregorius just recently came off the DL.

Earlier, Gleyber Torres was on the DL, CC Sabathia was on twice, Clint Frazier hasn’t been an option for much of the season, Greg Bird didn’t play until late May. Those are just the biggies.

There was no panic from Boone nor the Yankees, and somehow they’ve avoid a long losing streak all season in building the third-best record in baseball.

Boone deserves some credit for helping the Yankees overcome so many injuries and winning games with Shane Robinson getting 17 starts in the outfield, Kyle Higashioka getting 20 starts at catcher and Luis Cessa get a four starts on the mound.

Grade: A

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Brad Penner | USA TODAY Sports

(Not yet final) Grade

Again, Aaron Boone will be judged by championships. That’s the way it is when you manage the Yankees.

Joe Torre won four, Joe Girardi won one and Boone is zero for zero with a first chance upcoming.

I like what I’ve seen from Boone so far.

You can say the Yankees should be better this year with Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar, but last year’s team had Aaron Judge for a full season hitting 52 homers.

This year’s team was better in the regular season, but last year’s got to within a game of going to the World Series.

So far, based on what we’ve seen from Boone – everything from his in-game decisions to how he’s making out of his lineups, how he’s handled his pitching and dealt with all those injuries – the Yankees’ 90-56 record cannot be overlooked.

Because of all that, I’m giving Boone a solid grade for his work thus far.

Grade: B+

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Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.