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| Bob Boone © 2013 MLB Advanced Media |
Boone is the Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Player Development for the Washington Nationals, which is what had him sitting in the stands Tuesday evening for the Syracuse Chiefs doubleheader against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders at NBT Bank Stadium.
As a former major league catcher who was selected to four all-star games, won seven gold glove awards, and served as manager for the Kansas City Royals and the Cincinnati Reds, Boone's role in the Nationals organization stretches beyond the executive office.
"I evaluate," Boone said. "I help managers, coaches. I do a lot of teaching, hitting, work with all of coordinators, pitching, and catching. I stay out for the infield and the outfield."
As the home to the Triple-A affiliate for the Nationals, Boone says Syracuse is one of five trips he makes while evaluating talent within the farm system. He also makes outings to Pennsylvania to watch the Harrisburg Senators (Double-A/Eastern League), Virginia to see the Potomac Nationals (Class A Advanced/Carolina League), Maryland to observe the Hagerstown Suns (Class A/South Atlantic League), and nearby Auburn to catch the Auburn Doubledays (Class A Short Season/New York-Penn League).
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| NBT Bank Stadium is one of five monthly visits for Boone © 2013 Andrew Pogar |
"I'm on the road about 20-25 days a month," Boone said. "I see all of our clubs and I'm in Washington three to five days a month."
When asked about the Nationals disappointing 2013 campaign, Boone was quick to point out the team's main struggles.
"The bullpen hasn't been as good as it was last year and we haven't hit," Boone said. "I mean the bottom line is we've had a lot of great starting pitching performances."
Boone emphasized the anemic offensive production, particularly when Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg starts.
"In a normal year there will be one pitcher on your staff who takes a brunt of a lack of run support and for us this year it's certainly been Stephen Strasburg," Boone said. "He's really having a great year with a horrible record."
Boone managed the Royals during the late 1990s and Reds in early 2000s, when "the steroid era" was in full force as there was an increase in home runs hit and BALCO became the center of a massive doping scandal. On Monday, Major League Baseball handed down 50-game suspensions to 13 professional players for performance-enhancing drugs in the Biogenesis Scandal.
"I don't have many thoughts about it at all other than they obviously had the goods on them and all those guys accepted the punishment so I think one of the good things is you don't see the union as active in it," Boone said. "I think most players are really tired of it and they're starting to see it as-these guys that are doing that are cheating me and you can really see that kind of mentality come around and I think that's really a good thing for the sport."
Boone says he doesn't know if this announcement is a step in the right direction for the league.
"I think the next step will be even more severe punishment," Boone said. "I always thought the punishment that they billed out was plenty and obviously it hasn't been. When you're talking about some people getting $50 million, well I'd risk 50 days for that."
Boone says the news is troublesome for all involved in the MLB.
At 65, Boone says he has yet to give retirement any thought. His primary focus is on bettering the Washington Nationals organization. However, he occasionally reflects on how grateful he has been to have worked in several different capacities within the MLB.
"I've enjoyed every job that I've had," Boone said. "I love the job I have right now. I've been very fortunate to enjoy every aspect of the game from on the field to off the field things."
While Boone has been pleased with the trajectory of his career, there's one facet to the game that he's glad is in the past.
"I don't miss trying to hit those sliders."
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