NEW YORK – Ejected for the fourth time this season and second time in a four-game span, Yankees manager Aaron Boone didn't think there was a need for robot umpires.
“I don't want that,” Boone said after Thursday night's 3-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.
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Boone was tossed in the middle of the third inning by Edwin Moscoso over the umpire’s strike zone. Boone held up four fingers while arguing, signaling Boone thought the plate umpire missed four calls on pitches by Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt.
A graphic posted by the Yankees' YES Network indicated at least six of Schmidt's pitches that caught the edge of the strike zone were called balls.
The Automated Ball-Strike System — better known as the robo ump — is being tested at Triple-A this season and could reach the majors soon.
“Clearly he shouldn't have had to throw almost 30 pitches in that first inning,” Boone said. “But, no, I'm not advocating for the robo. I think these guys do for the most part a great job and work really hard at it. When you're playing for a lot, there's going to be some issues from time to time, as simple as that.”
Boone also was angry Moscoco walked away during the argument and first base umpire Chris Guccione, the crew chief, stood between the two when Boone tried to re-engage Moscoso.
“I should not have been thrown out of that game.” Boone said. “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 restrained. The dismissive attitude in walking away, I took exception to.”
Boone may have gotten spit on an umpire while arguing, which could lead to a suspension from Major League Baseball.
“I hope not,” Boone said.
Boone was ejected moments after Gunnar Henderson lined out to first to end the top of the third. Henderson worked a six-pitch walk against Schmidt in the first in which Moscoso called balls on three borderline pitches.
Facing Schmidt again, Henderson laid off two pitches on the outside corner called balls in his third-inning at-bat.
“It’s going to happen. There’s going to be some missed calls, obviously, throughout the game,” said Schmidt, who threw 29 pitches in the first and 97 pitches over five innings. “It seemed like there was some crucial ones early on. It kind of ran up the pitch count a little bit early on.”
Boone was ejected against Cleveland on April 12, against Toronto on May 15 and against Cincinnati on Sunday. He has been ejected 30 times in five-plus seasons as Yankees manager.
“We’re fighting tooth and nail out there, and so to see your manager out there fighting tooth and nail for you, as well, is a good feeling,” Schmidt said. “I know he's always going to have our backs.”:
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