Aaron Boone got tossed early in the Yankees game after a string of questionable strike calls from umpire Lance Barrett, who’s known for having the biggest strike zone in the league. It all started in the second inning with a low strike call on Anthony Volpe. Boone clearly wasn’t happy and made it known from the dugout. The next few batters got similar calls, and Boone’s frustration kept building. Barrett gave him a warning, telling him to “fix it then,” after another borderline pitch was called a strike.
Then came the breaking point. A pitch well below the zone was rung up as a strike, and Boone had seen enough. He shouted at Barrett, questioning if he honestly thought that was a strike. Barrett tossed him quickly, but Boone walked out to have his say. The two exchanged words, with Boone insisting the pitch wasn’t close and pointing out that he at least owns up to mistakes. Barrett didn’t back down, calmly saying “okay” while Boone let loose.
It was Boone’s seventh ejection of the season. He got everything off his chest and handed the team over to his staff as he exited. The moment gave fans a rare look into candid manager-ump conversations, with hot mics catching every word in a tense, emotional exchange.