Aaron Boone recalls fights with brother Brett before winning first matchup as coaches

Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.As Aaron Boone’s pitchers tried to combat Bret Boone’s hitters, the jabs were metaphorical.At one point, those Boone vs.

Boone punches were literal.Round One of the Boone Bowl — the first matchup between the Yankees manager and his big brother Bret, recently named Rangers hitting coach — brought back memories of two of the sons of Bob Boone, essentially baseball royalty, going at it in their younger days.“We used to box when we were kids,” Aaron said before beating Bret’s Rangers 5-2 in The Bronx on Tuesday.“I used to wear the headgear, and he wouldn’t.

So, picture I’m probably 6, he’s probably 10, and I popped him good one time.It kind of got him upset, and he took it to me pretty good.“I’m starting to cry a little bit, and he’s like, ‘No, you can’t cry.

We’re going to get in trouble.’“Years later I was thinking: ‘We’re going to get in trouble? You’re going to get in trouble for beating up your little brother.”The fight has become fairer over the years.The two longtime big leaguers had matched up in their playing days but had not gone face-to-face as members of opposing coaching staffs until Tuesday.The Rangers hired Bret as hitting coach on May 5 after firing Donnie Ecker to attempt to breathe life into a flatlining offense.Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Bret Boone — who had no previous coaching experience but ran a podcast and was a three-time All-Star over 14 big league seasons — can bring new ideas to his hitters and help them get “more involved, invested watching the game.”Aaron and Bret watched each other from opposite dugouts after meeting on the field to exchange lineups before first pitch.

The two were appreciative that the timing worked out so Aaron could have his four kids at the game and Bret’s two sons attended, an impromptu family reunion.The timing a...