It was just about three hours into Josh Bard’s managerial debut when the occasion arose for a crucial executive decision. The Yankees, who had trailed the Detroit Tigers by as much as 8-3 on Sunday, had battled back and were three runs from tying the game with two outs in the eighth inning. Bard was managing in place of Aaron Boone, who was serving a one-game suspension levied for bumping an umpire Friday night. He also had Greg Bird, who has been struggling, with a .198 batting average. A grand slam would have given the Yankees the lead and probably changed the entire narrative of Bird’s season.

Source: New York Times September 02, 2018 23:25 UTC