Ocean Township High School graduate Keith McPherson of WFAN fame (left), New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (center) and Frank Luna, an organizer from Bradley Beach, enjoy the function. Photo credit: Tom Naclerio
By CHRIS CHRISTOPHER
It was a first meeting which Keith McPherson will never forget.
The former Ocean Township High School football standout–now of WFAN 101.9 FM and 660 AM fame–rubbed elbows with New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone at a Meet and Greet at the Baseline Social Club in Oceanport
“I think the world of Aaron Boone,” McPherson said after the event, billed Pride in the Pinstripes. “He has his own baseball and family legacy. He is humble and down-to-earth for a guy who has done so many great things. He is a real guy. He did not hide from the team’s 82-80 record (of last season), one of the worst in team history. He knows fans want to see and hear him. We all think we can manage the Yankees.”
McPherson’s show, KM to AM, airs regularly from 7 p.m.-midnight Monday-Friday on New York City’s virtually all sports radio station. His show was born in November of 2021. McPherson has interviewed such luminaries as Bernie Williams, Nestor Cortes, Cecil Fielder, Mickey Rivers, Bob Hurley Sr. of Avon, Cameron Maybin and Brandon Steiner on his show. McPherson and Williams played in a softball game in Connecticut.
“I have had a bunch,” he said. “I have interviewed so many people that it’s hard to think of them all. I am a big fan of Bernie’s. It’s crazy to think that someone I am a fan of is a big fan of me.”
McPherson, 35, a 2006 Ocean graduate, is proud of his Jersey Shore heritage.
“I am as Jersey Shore as they come,” he said. “I did not think I would make it out of there to be honest with you.”
McPherson took over for the retired Steve Somers, who can occasionally be heard on what fans often refer to as “The FAN,” of Schmoozin’ with Steve late night fame. Somers’ show began in 1987 when the station aired for the first time.
“Steve is the GOAT (greatest of all time),” McPherson said. “He has an iconic voice and style. He’s old school. He is no social media person. He is 77 years old and he says, ‘Call my landline.’ ”
McPherson, an avid Yankees fan, has informed and entertained thousands of followers who reach his show by phone and through social media.
“I offer sports fan therapy,” he said. “When the Yankees lose nine in a row and Judge and Rizzo are hurt, they call up and say, ‘I hate the team.’ I tell them, ‘Fight through it.’ The show is about having connectivity with the fans. My voice makes sense with what I do. I am good on the mic and I can rap a little bit.
“I enjoy having autonomy. I do my own show and create my own style.”
McPherson and Boone mingled with fans.
“Dream bigger,” McPherson told fans.
Ocean Township Little League members attended the event. McPherson played in the league at Colt Field. He and his wife, Nicole, a Barnegat High School and Monmouth University graduate, are the parents of Jackson McPherson, born April 13, 2023. He’s the couple’s first child. The family lives in Jersey City.
McPherson and Boone appeared on stage in front of an estimated 150 fans. McPherson emceed the event.
“I dreamed before I got here that I would be nervous on stage,” he said. “When I am on the air, I am not nervous. It’s natural. I am blessed for this opportunity.”
McPherson worked hard to get to where he is today. He’s the son of Crystal and Earl McPherson.
“I put in 10,000 hours of work before I got on WFAN,” he said. “I was on the Monmouth University student station (he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications, Radio and Television after attending Brookdale Community College). “I did podcasts and YouTube videos. That’s how I sharpened my sword. I know how many people want to make it in sports and entertainment. I did digital work. I did corporate social media accounts. I was a deejay in Jersey Shore bars at the age of 21 and talked to complete strangers.”
McPherson peddled wares on the streets of New York City to help meet his expenses.
“I sold collectors items and old pairs of shoes,” he said. “It’s so expensive to live there. It came together for me in a way that I could necessarily never map out.”
McPherson teamed with Yankees broadcasters John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on pregame shows on WFAN last season.
“I attended 40 games a year and became a Bleacher Creature before I even thought I would be on WFAN,” he said. “The first year I followed the Yankees was maybe back in 1998–their greatest team ever. I love the team, its culture, its history. I have never rooted for any other team.”
McPherson and Boone went on stage to cheers. McPherson introduced himself to cheers and announced he was from Ocean Township High School, igniting more cheers. Boone entered the stage area to cheers. He hugged McPherson on stage. Both smiled. McPherson introduced Boone, who drove from his Connecticut home to Oceanport, to cheers.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” Boone said, drawing laughs. “I made a lot of wrong turns. I saw a lot of the Turnpike.”
“That Aaron Boone drove here from Connecticut says a lot about his character,” McPherson said after the event.
A 45-minute question and answer session featured Boone, who fielded questions from men and women, boys and girls and small fry. Numerous fans wore Yankees gear. Some were attired in Little League uniforms.
Boone said during the session, “I hope you are as excited as we are to get the season going. I will get to Tampa in eight or nine days. We have a lot of unfinished business ahead of us (the Yankees’ previous World Series championship was won in 2009). I make the time to talk with you because I feel it is important for me to get out there and talk about the upcoming season. If we are healthy, our lineup will be consistent. One guy out changes it. Last year, we had some real key pieces out.
“We don’t want too many right-handed hitters batting in a row. Having left-handers to break up the lineup is important. We will have up to five lefties batting on a given night. If we are healthy, our lineup won’t change all that much. D.J. (LeMahieu) is physically in such a great place. Let the lineup declare itself. D.J. will get back to really bangin’ like we need him to be. We have built in the balance and depth that we need.
“We have enough pitching right now. In getting Juan (Soto), we gave away a lot of pitching depth, including (Michael) King, who I feel will be a really great pitcher. Our front office did a great job of replenishing our pitching depth. We will still have a move or two before either spring training or hopefully in the next couple of weeks. Hopefully, it plays out.
“I don’t want to get kicked out of games, honestly. I got kicked out one time in the second half of last season. I want our guys to control the strike zone and that takes a lot of nerve. I fight for our guys to control the strike zone. I work and make sure the umpires don’t miss too much. I don’t want to lose a player in the game.
“Who is my hero? Mo Cheeks, number 10. The greatest Christmas gift I ever got was a Cheeks jersey at the age of 10. He was a point guard and I played point guard. My whole life I wanted to be Mo Cheeks.
“My favorite teammate is Mike Cameron, who I played with in 1999 in Cincinnati. We had a great team. He was a good player. He had the ability to relate to and connect with everyone. He was tough and energetic.
“The season is long and I try to set a tone from Day One. There is a lot of behind the scenes work with the team’s leaders. Aaron Judge is as good of a tone setter as you can have. We set the tone of expectations and create a strong routine. We make sure that we as coaches listen to people.
“We want our guys to walk in with an edge, a willingness to prepare. We go out and compete our butts off. Analytics are all a part of preparation. They are just information and numbers and predictors that have always been here. Now, they are here a little more readily. Once we go into the game, we play.
“IKF (Isiah Kiner-Falefa) I am real proud of. He took his lumps. He was real proud to be a Yankee. He was a great influence on Anthony Volpe. IKF was impressionable and accountable. He turned himself into a good outfielder. We will miss that. It’s up to other people to step into those roles and we are in a position to replace that.
“They feed us very well. For a 7 o’clock game, I get there usually around noon, work out and eat right away. There is an awesome lunch spread and people will make stuff for you. At 5 o’clock comes an unbelievable variety of a spread. The spread is even better postgame. We eat in smaller portions.
“Our closer will be Clay Holmes. I can still see us potentially make a move in the bullpen. It will be Clay on most nights. It’s January and I am really excited. I think we will be really good, but we have a long way to go to get there. A lot has to come together. We have a chance to be really, really good.
“Make sure of why you don’t lose sight of why you love the game. Work hard. Get after it. Be the best you can be. The game was invented a long, long time ago. One reason it was invented was for people to have fun playing it. We remind our guys, ‘You gotta have fun playing this game, too.’
“Judge injured his toe and that he came back is a testament to his toughness. That wall has since been padded. We have all improved a little bit. We have young players ready to take another step. I am anxious to see Volpe make adjustments to be a better offensive player. He will go to another level on offense. I had no idea he was that good of a defender. As a result, he got the Gold Glove. Pretty impressive.
“I would like to have more starting pitching depth. Our bullpen needs to be more fortified. You can never have enough pitching. I feel really good about our outfield. Having Soto and Judge batting back to back makes me smile every single day. Verdugo is an under the radar piece who will do a lot of damage in our lineup.”
Surrounded by Shore Regional Little League members, Boone received a proclamation proclaiming Jan. 27, 2024 as Aaron Boone Day in Oceanport from Mayor Thomas J. Tvrdik. The document chronicled Boone’s life.
“Hopefully, we can be back on Aaron Boone Day next year and celebrate a world championship,” Tvrdik told fans.
Neptune resident Tommy Lynch, who coaches the Junior Orioles, a team of players ages 14-16 in the Asbury Park Little League, said he was impressed with the event.
“It was done very well,” he said. “Everyone got to ask a question. Frank Luna (an event organizer from Bradley Beach) does a lot with our league. He invited minority kids who don’t get the chance to go Yankee Stadium to this event. We had about nine kids here today.”
Asbury Park Little League player Cayne Castillo, who questioned Boone, said, “The food (a buffet) was great here. The burgers were really good. I felt he would be a lot taller. Sometimes, the egos of celebrities get in the way. His ego is where it is supposed to be. I felt he would be 6-1 and he’s 5-11. I gotta keep pursuing what I love.”
Boone was named manager in December of 2017. He owns a 509-361 regular-season record and a 14-17 record in postseason play. He guided the Yankees to American League East pennants in 2019 and 2022.
He played in the infield in the major leagues from 1997-2009. He played for the Cincinnati Reds, the Yankees, the Cleveland Indians (now the Cleveland Guardians), the Florida Marlins, the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros. He posted a .263 regular-season batting average. He hit 126 home runs and drove in 555 runs. The third baseman-first baseman was a National League All-Star in 2003 while with the Reds.
Boone’s homer in the 11th inning gave the Yankees a 6-5 win over the Boston Red Sox and won the American League Championship Series in 2003. He batted .170 in 17 postseason games in 2003 when the Yankees lost in the World Series to the Marlins. Boone was drafted out of Villa Park High School in California by the California Angels in 1991 in the 43rd round. He was chosen by the Reds in the third round in 1994 out of the University of Southern California.
Boone, a descendant of pioneer Daniel Boone, has broadcast baseball on MLB Network, ESPN and ESPN Radio. He does a spot on WFAN. His dad is former major-league catcher Bob Boone, who also managed in the major leagues and was a four-time All-Star.
Aaron Boone’s brother, Bret, was a three-time major-league All-Star, a four-time Gold Glove winner and a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner. Another brother of Aaron Boone’s, Matt, played in the minor leagues.
Aaron, Bret and Matt are the grandsons of ex-major leaguer Ray Boone, an All-Star in 1954 and a World Series Champion in 1948. He led the American League in runs batted in during the 1955 season. Aaron Boone’s wife, Laura Cover, was a Playboy Playmate (Miss October of 1998).
McPherson was redshirted as a James Madison University freshman. He did not see action as a sophomore. He played two seasons at wide receiver at Monmouth University where he majored in communications. He led Ocean’s Spartans to a 9-3 overall record and the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III title as a senior, accounting for 1,080 yards and 15 total touchdowns at quarterback.
McPherson amassed more than 2,250 yards and 30 total touchdowns over his sophomore and junior seasons at quarterback. He was invited to play in the 2005 NY-NJ Governor’s Bowl All-State Classic. The two-time All-Monmouth County selection and rivals.com Top 50 player was rated the third-best quarterback in New Jersey coming out of his senior year.
An event organizer, Frank Luna of Bradley Beach, orchestrated gatherings featuring past and present Yankees players, including Oswaldo Cabrera, Paul O’Neill, Jose Trevino and Jake Bauers, last year. Luna and Boone teamed for an event at Asbury Park Convention Hall last February.
“These public appearances not only served as unique opportunities for fans to interact with the professional athletes they watch on television, but also helped support local businesses and charitable organizations that I am passionate about,” said Luna, 40. “Last year’s events helped raise thousands of dollars for the Asbury Park Little League and Covenant House New Jersey, including a special visit by Cabrera to the Covenant House Asbury Park Rights of Passage program to gift the youth who live there gift cards and prepared meals from Eat Clean Bro.”
Luna recently collaborated on an event featuring Dawson Mercer of the New Jersey Devils at Sportsnut Cards & Collectibles in Belmar. Luna has also worked with several highly touted Yankees prospects, including Elijah Dunham, Tyler Hardman and Andres Chaparro.
Luna and Boone enjoy a warm relationship.
“I like the guy,” Luna said. “He’s a good dude. He is a great family man, a man everyone can look up to. He will bring them a championship this year. For Jersey Shore fans to drive 10 minutes to an event instead of 90 minutes is nice. These events are a lot more accessible.”
Luna served in the Army National Guard and works as a Regional External Affairs Consultant with Jersey Central Power and Light. He also serves on the Asbury Park Program Board for Covenant House New Jersey and as a Trustee for the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation. He moonlights as a bartender at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park. O’Neill appeared at The Stone Pony. Boone has also appeared at Asbury Park Convention Hall. Bauers appeared at the Ross Brewing Company in Port Monmouth. Trevino appeared at Outpost Jersey Shore in Ocean Township.