Yankees manager Aaron Boone is all the rage following his viral ejection from Monday’s 5-1 loss to the White Sox.
A good night’s sleep later, however, Boone seems to have mellowed out about it all. Making his weekly appearance on the “Talkin’ Yanks” podcast, he elaborated on his long-simmering outburst.
“One of those that just kind of brewed all game,” Boone said. “It was the buildup the whole game. I just thought there were some pitches.”
Boone even went so far as to say the called third strike on Anthony Volpe, which triggered his encounter with home plate umpire Laz Diaz, was accurate. In a more surprising move, he went out of his way to complement the veteran umpire despite his ugly, ugly scorecard for the night. More shockingly, Boone was trying to defuse the fight?
“I was actually trying to bring it down a couple times, and Laz was giving it back to me pretty hard,” he added. “I go way back with Laz. I know he’s not real happy with me right now, but he and I basically came up together. So I’ve known him forever. And yeah, he was giving it back pretty, pretty good.”
The biggest twist, despite Diaz’s bad night? Aaron Boone staunchly does not want robo-umps.
“I don’t want an automated strike zone,” he firmly said, despite supporting a potential challenge system. “I think having the umpire back there is important.”
Monday marked the MLB-leading sixth time this year that Aaron Boone has been ejected, giving him 32 for his career. Results aside, it’s clear the man cares.
Not to mention that Monday marked a new rock bottom in an incredibly frustrating loss for the Yankees. The lineup somehow worked seven walks against starter Dylan Cease, had the bases loaded several times, and yet only mustered a single run.
Add Laz Diaz and a strike zone wider than parts of the New Jersey Turnpike. No wonder emotions boiled over, and Boone isn’t exactly proud either.
“I don’t think my daughter’s happy with me today,” he said with a smile.
Aaron Boone isn’t the best manager, nor the best media source, but it’s like we said earlier. Find a manager who cares more and stands up for his players to the same degree.
