Aaron Boone’s watches tell time — and who’s pitching for the Yankees each day

AP Baseball Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Aaron Boone carries his rotation on his wrist.

The New York Yankees manager wears a blue watch band when Gerrit Cole takes the mound, which Boone calls his nicest. He switches to yellow for Carlos Rodón, Army green for Clarke Schmidt and teal for Luis Gil.

“I have a great deal with Oris, so I have a lot of watches and then I kind of start establishing them each year as the year unfolds,” Boone said. “Sometimes I’ll switch with a starter. If they get a little off-kilt, I’ll change up things.”

Rodón was aware of the gyrating schedule. The other Yankees starters were not.

“It’s just his thing,” he said. “Baseball players are quirky. He was one, you know.”

Cole noticed the switches, but it hadn’t clicked that blue was tied to him.

“But he has approached me in the past and been like: `This one’s hot,’” the ace said.

Schmidt speculated on how his color was chosen.

“I thought it was just based off the day. I never knew it was matched for me, but now I’m going to start paying attention,” he said. “Maybe it matches our personality or something.”

A third generation big leaguer, the 51-year-old manager is a son of Bob Boone and grandson of Ray Boone. Aaron Boone played in the major leagues from 1997-2009, becoming an All-Star in 2003. Later that year, his 11th-inning homer off Boston’s Tim Wakefield in Game 7 won the AL Championship Series for the Yankees.

Boone estimates he rotates 15-20 watches.

“When I was in the big leagues I ended up buying a nice watch and I was mildly into them a little,” he said, “but now I’ve gotten really into them with with my partnership with Oris.”

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is a watch guy, too, but he goes high end for his timepieces.

“I like the Panerai, the Audemars Piguet and I like this IWC Top Gun, too,” he said on the eve of the World Series opener. “I don’t switch every day. I’m going to ride this one out to the end. It’s been lucky.”

Los Angeles and New York had the best records in their leagues. Cole said Boone and Roberts are ahead of the field in the chronograph competition.

“This has got to be the top two manager watch games,” he insisted.

Roberts has no doubt who’s No. 1.

“My watches are better than Boonie’s watches,” he said with a smile.

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