Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees Suspended for One Game Due to Unsportsmanlike Behavior During Thursdays Match-up Against the Baltimore Orioles

It was the seventh time that the Yankees manager has been ejected since taking over as manager in late 2018. Boone has been known for his fiery temper and passion for the game, but those attributes have also led to difficulty with umpires. Umpire Carlos Torres ejected Boone during a May 2019 game against the New York Mets, and Tom Hallion ejected him in July 2020 for arguing balls and strikes.

On Thursday, Boone said he was frustrated by Moscoso’s unsuccessful effort to get the Orioles’ Rule 5 draft pick Ryan McKenna to check his swing on what would have been an important strikeout. After several replays, it was clear that McKenna had swung and should have been called out.

Following the game, Boone said that he had not seen the replay yet and that the dispute had nothing to do with his argument. He said the issue was with the call itself.

“That was the point of contention,” Boone said. “There wasn’t anything else that went into it.”

Boone will be eligible to return to the dugout Friday night when the Yankees take on the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. In the meantime, the Yankees have turned to bench coach Josh Bard as interim manager. Bard is no stranger to managing and is no stranger to the game of baseball. He spent two seasons as the Cleveland Indians’ manager from 2010-2011 and has been a part of Boone’s staff since 2019.

The Yankees are currently in first place in the AL East with a 34-23 record, trailing the Toronto Blue Jays by three games. They will need to stay focused and disciplined if they want to remain in first place, and this incident likely won’t help.

Ultimately, it is up to the individual to decide how much discipline to impose on its player or coach. Baseball has a long history of managers and players receiving suspensions due to on-field disputes with umpires. Boone received his one-game suspension for his conduct towards Major League Umpires. While the situation was unfortunate for both sides, all parties involved can move forward knowing the rules were followed and both teams can continue to focus on the game on the field.