Why Did Boone Pull Cole? Jeter Speaks Out

Derek Jeter, the legendary former Yankee, had some strong words about a decision made by current Yankees manager Aaron Boone during Game 1 of the World Series. Boone took out pitcher Gerrit Cole in the seventh inning, despite Cole giving up just one run on four hits and throwing only 88 pitches. Jeter, who played with Boone in 2003, criticized this move during a postgame show on Fox. He highlighted how pitchers like Al Leiter used to throw over 140 pitches in crucial games. Jeter emphasized that pulling Cole early could have a ripple effect on the rest of the series. The immediate fallout was clear. The Yankees' bullpen struggled, and they ran out of pitchers by the end of the game. They used Clay Holmes, Tommy Kahnle, and Luke Weaver from the seventh to the ninth innings. The game went into extra innings, and in the bottom of the 10th, Boone brought in Jake Cousins. Boone then turned to Nestor Cortes to face a powerful trio of Dodgers batters. Unfortunately, Cortes gave up a walk-off grand slam, sealing the Yankees' loss. Boone defended his decision, saying Cole seemed to struggle towards the end of his outing.