New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone was fined and suspended for one game by Major League Baseball on Friday after a recent string of ejections.
Boone was ejected for the fourth time this season, and the second time in four days, Thursday in their loss to the Baltimore Orioles. He was fined an undisclosed amount and will serve his suspension Friday night against the San Diego Padres.
“It’s happened a few times this week and I’d love to not get ejected, and hopefully I can start a long streak of not being ejected,” Boone said Friday before learning he was suspended, via ESPN. “I’m not necessarily afraid to do it, but no, it’s not my intention to be ejected, and I don’t want to, and hopefully I won’t for a while.”
Boone was ejected in the third inning of the Yankees’ 3-1 loss to the Orioles as he argued with home plate umpire Edwin Moscoso above the strike zone. Boone clearly thought Moscoso missed at least four calls and possibly spat on him during their heated discussion.
At one point, team manager and first base umpire Chris Guccione had to stand between Boone and Moscoso after Moscoso tried to pull away.
“I shouldn’t have been kicked out of that game.” Boone said Thursday night, via The Associated Press. “I was very calm, didn’t do much at all. And then Gucc was holding me back and just telling me – so I didn’t need to be held back. The dismissive attitude as he walked away, I opposed.”
The ejection came after Boone was sent off in the first inning of their 4-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday. Boone went to argue with the referees after a review overruled what was initially ruled a foul ball and turned it into a double, giving the Reds a run.
While his streak of ejections isn’t great, Boone doesn’t think it will negatively impact his team in the long run.
“I think I’ve earned that reputation,” Boone said, via ESPN. “Do I think that leads to a quick hook? Not necessarily. I think last night was quick, but it could be one-off. Maybe I’m delirious and I did more than I did. I think so… I think [umpires] most arrive with a blank slate. I think there is probably an occasional bias that exists. We’re human beings and I’m sure some people don’t like to hear about me or anything.”
The Yankees enter Friday’s game against the Padres, the first of three, with a 30-22 record. They have won seven of their last 10 games.