Yankees hire Aaron Boone: 7 things you don't know about new manager

There are few things most baseball fans know about Aaron Boone, who was hired Friday to be the Yankees' new manager.

The former third baseman, of course, is best known for hitting an 11th inning, Game 7 ALCS homer at the old Yankee Stadium to carry the 2003 Yankees into the World Series.

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He's also known for blowing out his left knee 2 1/2 months later playing a pick-off basketball game and being released six weeks after that. The injury cost him all but $917,533 in termination pay from a one-year $5.75 million contract that was forfeited and led to the Yankees trading for Alex Rodriguez.

One more thing Boone is famous for is being one half of a third-generation big leaguer in which he, brother Bret Boone, father Bob Boone and grandfather Ray Boone all played in at least one All-Star Game.

Here are some other things about the Yankees' new manager that you may not know:

-- His great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was Daniel Boone, the legendary pioneer who lived from 1734 to 1820.

-- As a member of the Houston Astros, Boone underwent open-heart surgery in March 2009 at Stanford University Medical Center to replace an aortic valve. He wound up making his season debut on Sept. 1 and retired after the season to go into broadcasting.

-- His wife, formerly Laura Cover, was on the October 1998 cover of Playboy. The couple married in November 2002 after 10 months of dating.

-- He's an alum of Villa Park High in Orange County, Calif., the same school attended by actor Kevin Costner, Baltimore Orioles slugger Mark Trumbo and former NFL punter Pat McInally.

-- His wife goes on mission trips with her church and he accompanied her on one to Haiti in January 2015 after an earthquake to do some work at an orphanage.

-- He hit the only homer in the final game at Cincinnati's Cinergy Field (formerly Riverfront Stadium) on Sept. 22, 2002 off Phillies reliever Dan Plesac.

-- He was part of baseball's only starting infield with two sets of brothers in the Reds' 1998 sesaon finale when he started at third base, Bret Boone played second, Barry Larkin was at short and Stephen Larkin played first.

Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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