NEW YORK – On a summer afternoon in 2019, Yankees manager Aaron Boone delivered an epic rant to a rookie umpire, declaring that his hitters were “savages in the box” while unwittingly giving birth to a cottage industry of T-shirts and other paraphernalia.
That same umpire, Brennan Miller, was working second base on Tuesday evening as the Yankees hosted the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. And when Miller ruled Anthony Volpe out on a fourth-inning steal attempt, it sparked a sequel between the still-linked pair.
The Yankees challenged the call at second base, which was ruled to stand after a lengthy review. Boone tossed his gum in anger after the call, spending the next half-inning barking expletives near his perch at the top step of the dugout.
The situation largely cooled until the seventh, when Jazz Chisholm Jr. lined out to center fielder Daulton Varsho on a diving catch, a call made by Miller. The Yankees did not have a challenge remaining, so they could not ask for the umpires to examine if the ball had touched grass.
Boone barked toward Miller, appearing to yell, “Nice job!” It resulted in his second ejection of the season and the 48th of his career.