Nationals VP Bob Boone resigns over club’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, per report

Bob Boone has been with the Washington Nationals since 2005, but has decided to resign from his post as vice president instead of complying with the now organizational COVID-19 vaccine mandate, per the Associated Press. 

Boone, 73, is a baseball lifer in a baseball family. He’s the son of big-leaguer Ray Boone and has two sons — Bret and Aaron — who played in the majors. Aaron is currently the manager of the Yankees. After his 19-year playing career, Bob managed for six seasons before moving into a front office role. He joined the Nationals shortly after they were altered from the Montreal Expos and worked his way up. He became assistant general manager and vice president of player development in 2006 and was moved to vice president and senior advisor in 2015. 

The Nationals recently became one of two teams with the Astros to require vaccinations for all non-playing personnel. On the Nationals’ end, they informed employees Aug. 14 of the new policy and gave them two weeks to provide proof or either full vaccination, a first shot or a medical exemption. Those who haven’t complied have until Sept. 15 to do so or face termination. 

“As a company, we have a responsibility to do everything we can to keep one another safe and felt that mandating vaccines was the absolute right thing to do for our employees and our community,” the Nationals said in a statement last week.

Boone has chosen to step down rather than comply. 

Aaron Boone has a heart condition and is fully vaccinated. He’s also publicly urged his Yankees players to do the same.