Yankees manager Aaron Boone looks on during batting practice prior to...

Yankees manager Aaron Boone looks on during batting practice prior to Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the Rays at PETCO Park on Oct. 6, 2020, in San Diego. Credit: Getty Images/Christian Petersen

JUPITER, Fla. -- The way Aaron Boone goes about his business, calmly steering one of the highest-profile sports franchises on the planet, you’d think he was invincible.

The affable Boone greets his many responsibilities with a smile, shrugs off adversity and projects an unfailingly positive attitude. None of that is easy to do while wearing pinstripes, especially under the duress of a twice-daily media spotlight. And if Boone himself was having a bad day, it rarely showed.

But then Boone showed up in a hospital bed Wednesday for the Yankees’ daily in-house Zoom call with the front office and staffers, telling everyone that he’s getting a pacemaker installed, but he’ll be fine. Rather than duck from the extremely personal health crisis, Boone wanted to make sure those who didn’t already know were updated on his condition firsthand, including in a video to his shocked players.

"I applaud him for being very open and honest and sharing the circumstances he’s going through right now," general manager Brian Cashman said. "It’s very Aaron Boone-like. It’s others first from his perspective. That’s why he’s such a good leader. It’s genuine. It’s also who he is."

Despite the obvious concern, Cashman sounded somewhat relieved in saying that Boone -- who was scheduled for surgery later Wednesday -- is expected to be released from Tampa’s St. Joseph’s Hospital in roughly 24-48 hours and could return to the Yankees within 72 hours. For all Boone’s worry about his players staying healthy, the most serious issue of this Yankees’ spring training turned out to involve him, and he handled it with the grace we’ve come to expect.

In addition to his own status -- "My faith is strong, and my spirits are high" -- Boone made sure to include a PSA to fellow cardiac patients, as he’s been once since birth. Shortly after his 36th birthday, Boone was forced to leave the Astros to undergo open-heart surgery, an eight-hour procedure to repair the bicuspid valve.

"I also want to take this opportunity to remind all those dealing with heart issues to remain vigilant in your care and to reach out to your doctor should you have any symptoms of discomfort or trouble," Boone said in Wednesday’s statement. "Any issue involving the heart has the potential to be serious. Staying on top of your health is always the first and most important thing you can do for yourself and your family."

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman talks about manager Aaron Boone having a pacemaker put in on March 3, 2021, in Tampa during spring training.   Credit: NY Yankees

We’ve expended so much mental and emotional bandwidth during the past year on dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic that the more customary maladies tend to get overlooked. And this is not the first time the Yankees have dealt with an unsettling health scare involving their manager during the otherwise idyllic days early in spring training.

Back in 1999, Joe Torre was diagnosed with prostate cancer in mid-March that required surgery soon after and forced him to miss two months. Baseball is a business, but teams are much like families, so the connection a manager has with his players and staff often transcends a merely professional relationship. When these health situations arise, the team takes its cue from the manager, and that person’s steadying influence helps with the coping process -- even from a distance.

In Boone’s case, it was a hospital bed. He had kept Cashman informed of his condition as recent exams pointed to the need for a pacemaker, as well as bench coach Carlos Mendoza -- who will sub for him in this short term. Boone revealed in Wednesday’s statement that he experienced "mild symptoms of lightheadedness, low energy and shortness of breath" for roughly two months before a series of tests indicated a low heart rate, a signal that the pacemaker would be necessary.

While a pacemaker may be considered relatively routine, as Cashman said, any heart-related condition immediately sets off alarms. But Boone’s approach to the pending surgery -- laughing and joking with his staff during the Zoom -- was instrumental in putting the Yankees at ease overall.

Newsday's Yankees beat writer Erik Boland provides the latest update on Aaron Boone's heart surgery as well as the Yankees' exhibition win over the Blue Jays on Wednesday, March 3, 2021. Credit: Newsday / Erik Boland/Erik Boland

"That made all of us feel a lot better," Mendoza said.

In the Yankees’ universe, we grade managers on an impossible scale: by the number of championships on their resume. Boone is 0-for-3 in his first three tries, despite a pair of 100-win seasons, and understands the criticism that invariably comes when the Yankees fall short of reaching the World Series.

But there is way more to Boone than what is seen on the field, and a measure of the man that goes far beyond whatever expectations are placed on the storied franchise he’s in charge of piloting. Regardless of what Boone has endured on the operating table, those that know him best would tell you his heart could not be better equipped for his role with the Yankees, and approach to life. He reminded them of that again Wednesday. From a hospital bed. With surgery just hours away.

"The first thing he thinks about is his guys," Brett Gardner said.

Now the priority for the Yankees is getting Boone healthy first, then back to the dugout as soon as possible.

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited Digital AccessOnly 25¢for 6 months

ACT NOWSALE ENDS SOON | CANCEL ANYTIME