Another New York Yankees game, another controversy with the rules.
One night after manager Aaron Boone and reliever Devin Williams were ejected for questioning the strike zone, the Yankees and the Houston Astros had more issues on Thursday.
This time, Astros outfielder Taylor Trammell had his bat confiscated in the ninth inning after a double. Yankees manager Aaron Boone appeared to ask the umpires to examine Trammell’s bat after the hit.
Following the Astros’ 8-4 loss, Trammell said he can’t understand what was wrong with his bat.
“It’s actually ridiculous. I have no idea what really happened,” Trammell said, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
“I’ve had that bat since I’ve been here. I’ve had it for a long time. I usually take BP with it. I use it in games, I use it in (triple-A Sugar Land), use it every time I need. The only thing I just don’t have a gloss finish on my bat. It’s matte. Paint wears down. That’s what happened.
“I just got word they thought my bat was shaved down too much. To be honest, I have no idea how you have shave down a bat. I don’t know what it is. I feel kind of defensive right now, moreso a test of my character of like I’m going to willingly do that. Just kind of lost on that thing, and if anybody knows me knows I’m never going to cheat any turns or anything like that. I have no idea. That’s baffling to me that it was even checked. They didn’t like it. Sorry. I used it the first at-bat and it wasn’t a problem. I struck out and it wasn’t a problem then.”
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Both managers talked to home plate umpire Adrian Johnson and he then talked to the replay office in New York. Johnson eventually handed the bat to an official sitting near home plate and play resumed.
After the game, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters the team noticed discolouration on Trammell’s bat earlier in the series and asked the league about it.
“It’s just something we noticed this series and asked the league about. You’re not allowed to do anything to your bat. I’m not saying he was. We noticed it and the league thought it was maybe illegal too. I wanted to at least ask about it,” Boone said, stressing he didn’t want to accuse Trammell of doing anything wrong.
The Yankees, three games back of AL East-leading Toronto, start a huge three-game series against the visiting Blue Jays on Friday.
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