LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� 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 Rod贸n, Army green for Clarke Schmidt and teal for Luis Gil.
鈥淚 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,鈥� Boone said. 鈥淪ometimes I鈥檒l switch with a starter. If they get a little off-kilt, I鈥檒l change up things.鈥�
Rod贸n was aware of the gyrating schedule. The other Yankees starters were not.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just his thing,鈥� he said. 鈥淏aseball players are quirky. He was one, you know.鈥�
Cole noticed the switches, but it hadn鈥檛 clicked that blue was tied to him.
鈥淏ut he has approached me in the past and been like: `This one鈥檚 hot,鈥欌�� 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鈥檓 going to start paying attention,鈥� he said. 鈥淢aybe it matches our personality or something.鈥�
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鈥檚 Tim Wakefield in Game 7 won the AL Championship Series for the Yankees.
Boone estimates he rotates 15-20 watches.
鈥淲hen I was in the big leagues I ended up buying a nice watch and I was mildly into them a little,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut now I鈥檝e 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.
鈥淚 like the Panerai, the Audemars Piguet and I like this IWC Top Gun, too,鈥� he said on the eve of the World Series opener. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 switch every day. I鈥檓 going to ride this one out to the end. It鈥檚 been lucky.鈥�
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.
鈥淭his has got to be the top two manager watch games,鈥� he insisted.
Roberts has no doubt who鈥檚 No. 1.
"My watches are better than Boonie鈥檚 watches,鈥� he said with a smile.
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AP MLB:
Ronald Blum, The Associated Press