Yankees Skipper Aaron Boone Says He's Open to MLB Mercy Rule

The New York Yankees were blasted 19-5 by the Cleveland Indians Thursday night, leading to Yankees manager Aaron Boone being asked the next day about whether he'd be in favor of Major League Baseball implementing a "mercy rule."

On the surface, it sounds ridiculous to ask a manager, but Boone is actually open to the idea.

"If you get to this point after seven innings or whatever, there might be something to that, some merit to that and worth exploring," Boone said during a news conference Friday. "Because it's not fun to have to put in a position player in that kind of situation.

"Sitting in my chair, you worry about hurting someone. You hate throwing up a flag like that, and sitting there and getting kicked in the mouth is no fun."

During their blowout loss, Boone used rookie designated hitter Mike Ford to eat up some innings, totaling two out of the bullpen. I'm sure Boone was holding his breath, hoping that Ford could finish the game without hurting himself.

The biggest reason why Boone thinks it should be considered is for the health of pitchers.

You can understand where Boone is coming from as a manager, but as you can imagine, the baseball traditionalists are pulling out there hair after hearing that. I mean, they are professional athletes. Finish the entire game and move on, right?