One of the newer acquisitions to the Washington Nationals' roster is infielder Aaron Boone. Picked up after a one-year stint with the Florida Marlins, the team hopes his presence on the corners will help revitalize the team going into the 2008 season and aid them in their quest for the pennant. Already his bat has begun to make a difference, with his batting average over .300 so far.
Aaron Boone is a second-generation baseball player; his father Bob Boone was a catcher and manager, most recently for the Cincinnati Reds. His brother Bret also plays in the Major Leagues, and during his last day in the 1998 season for the Reds, the team made trivia history by fielding Aaron at third, Bret at second, and brothers Stephen and Barry Larkin at first and shortstop respectively, making the only time two pairs of brothers had made up a major league infield.
Boone's biggest claim to fame, however, was his performance in the 2003 ALCS against the seemingly forever cursed Boston Red Sox. The Yankees and the Sox were tied 5-5 in game 7, which had gone into extra innings. In the bottom of the 11th, however, he got enough of a pitch to send the ball out of Yankee Stadium, his walk-off home run winning the series for New York and cementing yet another Red Sox loss into the history books. Unfortunately, the Sox would come back to win next year, and unfortunately Boone would be cut from the Yankees squad for injuring himself in an unsanctioned pickup game. He soon recovered both physically and professionally, however, and fans hope his new home in Washington DC will suit his talents.
