The New York Yankees may have come away with the win, but manager Aaron Boone is still fighting an uphill battle. One day after Aaron Judge’s towering fly ball was incorrectly called foul instead of his ninth home run of the season, Boone filed an official complaint with Major League Baseball. On Monday, he spoke with Michael Hill, MLB’s senior VP of baseball operations, seeking answers. Instead, he got a chance to express his frustration and was met with a sympathetic response.
Although replays clearly showed the ball clearing the fence and landing in a group of trees located in fair territory at Steinbrenner Field, there’s no way to retroactively award the home run. Boone still made the call. “It was a tough call,” Hill told him, according to Boone.
Boone is all too familiar with Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees’ spring training home, and the unique challenges it presents. But those challenges become more pronounced during regular season games. With no third deck and limited camera angles, replay reviews are more difficult, and the sight lines are less reliable. The foul pole, which typically stretches up to the third deck in major league parks, is much shorter there. “Not being in a major league park, with the third deck, complicates it and all that,” Boone said.
The real sting might come if Judge nears another home run record. Already the American League single-season record holder with 62 homers, he looks just as locked in this year as he did in 2022. If he gets close again, Sunday’s missed call will be even more significant.
Following the controversial call, Boone was ejected after arguing a strikeout on the next pitch — a borderline slider on the outside corner. He voiced his frustrations to home plate umpire Adam Beck and let third base umpire Scott Barry have it as well.
Boone understands the magnitude of Judge’s career. He’s a once-in-a-generation player, destined for the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Boone just wants to make sure every moment that defines Judge’s legacy gets the recognition it deserves.
