Yes, the All-Star Game is technically an exhibition. A midseason spectacle meant to celebrate the sport’s brightest stars, offer fans a show, and give players a breather from the grind of 162 games. While it doesn’t affect the standings and doesn’t shift playoff odds, the stakes are never entirely absent, especially when you’re representing a market like New York. Well, for the Yanks manager Aaron Boone, who is also managing the AL in the All-Star Game, the scrutiny is only intensifying.
With the Yankees mired in a prolonged slump and recently slipping out of first place in the AL East, Boone’s every move is being dissected. Despite that, he was awarded the AL managerial position. And now, it seems the scrutiny has followed him to Atlanta as well.
What should have been a moment of personal prestige quickly turned into another chapter of second-guessing and fan frustration. Exhibition or not, when you wear pinstripes or manage them, the spotlight never dims. You call it a blown-up decision or not, but NL’s Pete Alonso just took a hit off the AL’s Kris Bubic and left Boone’s gamble wide open.”What the hell was Boone thinking bringing in Bubic!! Guy has no feel for the game,” WFAN host Chris McMonigle ranted on his X handle.
So, what’s the noise about placing Bubic in the game, when his 2.48 ERA this season ranks sixth in the American League?
Well, currently, Bubic’s All-Star ERA stands at 81! Yes, you heard that right. Well, the sample is too small to evaluate anyway, but not everyone is convinced about Boone placing Bubic against Pete Alonso. That too, with runners on and no outs during the sixth inning, when the NL was leading 2-0.
Kris Bubic’s all-star ERA is 81.00 pic.twitter.com/36TCFpMqHX
— Royals Kingdom(47-50) (@kingdom_royals) July 16, 2025
The outcome? A swanky and fully swinging hit by Alonso off Bubic that turned out to be a 3-run homer and extended the NL’s lead by 5-0. And you know who is at the receiving end. Expectedly, Boone is facing the music. Fans are left wondering how Boone could place a less experienced All‑Star like Bubic in such a high-leverage moment against a power hitter like Alonso. Surely, it shifted the momentum. While the game is still on, the NL is currently leading 6-4.
Stay tuned for more!
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