Aaron Judge Kicked Out From Game, First Time In His Career
Since1994, he is the first captain of the Yankees to be fired.
The rapidly developing incident started when Judge challenged home plate umpire Ryan Blakney‘s call of a third strike during the Yankees’ 5-3 triumph in the seventh inning.
Aaron Judge stood at the plate against pitcher Tyler Holton with one out and a full count. Though Blakney ruled it a strike, Judge thought Holton’s fastball was just a little bit outside.
After the call, Judge turned to walk back to the dugout and gave Blakney a quick glance, but he soon realized he had been dismissed and came back to discuss the decision.
The Yankees manager, Aaron Boone, came out of the dugout to confront Blakney about the dismissal, but he was not ejected either.
Judge remarked, “I wasn’t even there when he evicted me. The audience sort of responded to it. I just assumed it at that point.”
Boone said, “Judge says very little, usually walks off with a lot of respect, expressing surprise at the circumstances.”
Watch: Aaron Judge on his ejection in the 7th during 5-3 win vs. Detroit
In thirty years, the first Yankees captain to be tossed
Being the first team captain to be dismissed since Don Mattingly on May 13, 1994, in Milwaukee, Judge’s dismissal creates a unique opportunity for the Yankees.
In contrast to the clear audio recording of Boone’s expulsion by home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt on April 22, the specifics of Judge’s conversation with Blakney were not recorded.
In remarks to reporters, third base umpire and crew chief Alan Porter indicated that Judge “said something he shouldn’t have,” presumably in disagreement with the call, which resulted in his dismissal.
Porter continued, “Although he said something inappropriate, we try our best to keep the men in the game.”
Before getting ejected, Judge had a successful game; in his first two at-bats, he had hit a single and an RBI double. This season, he is hitting.209, and on Friday, he ended a 0-for-14 slump with a crucial single that led to New York’s comeback victory in the ninth inning.
The heated mood that followed the contested call was evident when several in the crowd started chanting obscenities at Blakney after Aaron Judge was ejected.
