E182 - Aaron Boone & Laz Diaz Go Nose-to-Nose in Old-School Manager-Umpire Argument Over Strike Zone

[@Rabbi_D]

I lost it at "just dropped in to see what condition the strike zone was in"

[@orcaidhne]

not a frequently used big lebowski reference, very statute and clever for benneti to use it in that situation

[@djm55]

@@orcaidhne or perhaps a Kenny Rogers reference

[@eagles_s]

First Edition. Great song

[@jaydeeification]

Angel Hernandez and Laz on back to back days is enough to make any manager lose their mind, but this felt like Boone giving us a final performance on his way out the door

[@J.C...]

Laz is sooooo much worse than Hernandez though. Look at that "strike" zone

[@critter2]

amgel has a good record of umpiring you just love to hate him enough

[@VisibilityFoggy]

@@critter2 He's bad at calling balls and strikes. His knowledge of the rules and how to apply them is pretty amazing, though. Maybe umpires shouldn't need to do EVERY umpiring job and be empowered to specialize in an area where they're most effective. Some umpires are good at calling balls and strikes, some aren't. It's not a big deal, really. I don't know why this is so sacrosanct.

[@Volante31921]

@@VisibilityFoggy All the more reason for ABS. Take some of the responsibility off the umps so they can focus on the rest of the game.

[@teebob21]

@@J.C... This was the worst plate performance by an MLB umpire this year, and Diaz still got 89% of pitches called correctly. Of 166 callable pitches, 147 were called correctly. If the first inning slider to Torres with a pX of 1.15 was the worst miss of the day, and it appears to be using the UmpScorecard graphic, Diaz never missed a single pitch by more than 2.8 inches.

[@BigCManMusic]

Bruh, I usually roll my eyes when I see an Aaron Boone ejection video, but this legit made me cry laughing

[@larrykramer2761]

This was by far the funniest ejection of the season. LMAO

[@joe2lank]

When we get to Ejection 182 for the season, we need a little spice to keep the flavor going. This ejection did not disappoint.

[@brend2718]

I'm having so much fun right now. Couldn't stop laughing.

[@wintonbrangman7630]

When Lindsay dropped the Whip Nay Nay music in the background I hit the floor 😂

[@gregorysleeth1792]

I gotta say that Yankee’s manager did a great job imitating, the home plate umpire. That ejection should be on ESPN top 10 plays lol 😂

[@Tylerhopkins3106]

Great video, and I loved how you mentioned the Laz Diaz and Joe Girardi argument against the Angels a few years back I remember that one, I also like how Boone mocked Diaz for his strike calls that made me laugh great video once again!!!

[@tomspurgin7661]

The Tim Anderson comment had me dying 🤣

[@daverose8693]

Love the way you cut this, "game one of a three-game series between the Sox and a playoff-aspirational Laz Diaz". I know that's just the way it worked out but it gave me a chuckle

[@craign8464]

This was old school entertainment. Nobody seems to like an ump show but in this case the manager and ump were willing participants in providing something extra for the viewer. Even keeping pace of play in mind this is okay.

[@sfmc98]

The thing about baseball is there aren't exactly fireworks in the main content of every single game. There always should be a bit of sideshow that justifies the cost of admission. I cannot see any reason why MLB wants to get away from this. Ugg we're too "advanced" and "modern." No, we want to see this just as much as our fathers and grandfathers did. People still remember Earl Weaver but they would have totally forgotten him had he never had his antics.

[@DonTrump-sv1si]

Diversity hire

[@jayschafer1760]

​@@sfmc98Exactly. MLB has gotten so much press from this incident. It's entertaining, it's funny, it attracts potential new fans under the age of 50 (baseball fans run pretty old in terms of average age), and it really doesn't paint the league in a bad light, unlike a bench clearing brawl might or would. Worth a few extra minutes of game time.

[@sfmc98]

@@jayschafer1760 I'm not even sure a bench clearing brawl would. I bet at least a few people's attention was grabbed with the Down Goes Anderson! knockout

[@JPINFV]

The catcher also did an amazing job of framing. He wasn't pulling the pitches to the other side of the zone... just a little touch to the edge.

[@lighthouseclimber]

This is what i miss about the game, old school tirades (by both sides) that go on for a little while

[@tigerlee1106]

I was waiting for this video to come out. 182 ejections this season. 250 ejections coming! Time to get the popcorn AND for people who watch those videos I give kudos!

[@mcgarbage4974]

The return of Boone is glorious, he’s been on his best behavior lately

[@J.C...]

Glorious? Smh. He's the worst manager in the league. Nothing about him or anything he does is glorious. He was trash as a player too.

[@alexanderbaumann2498]

No that’s his actions for managers

[@DJCrAzYGuYTube]

I hope they show this on Canadian broadcast, it's hilarious.

[@joesavary6081]

It was, and I was rolling on the floor when Boone did Laz's strikeout mechanic

[@vincentwendt720]

It's funny that when you showed the Girardi ejection, both his and Boone's were in the top of the 8th inning.

[@D.heARTist]

Give that man an *OSCAR* !! Best performance YET hands down 😂

[@morningsidedriverock]

I’m so embarrassed being a Yankees fan this year

[@SurfinCowboy5615]

You’re not embarrassed every other year when they lose with the highest payroll in the sport?

[@wranglerman270]

Boone has to be leading the pack in ejection mvp this season. Bell and baldelli have some catching up to do

[@ryansorensen4016]

The White Sox catcher is one of the better catchers i've seen, doesn't move the glove 2 feet to make it look like a strike. props to him

[@zach7193]

This has to be one of the funniest ejections ever saw. Reminds me of Sandberg mimicking the ejection of the home plate umpire in '14.

[@Fizban321]

300 looking so so good

[@dennis_ohara]

I'm laughing my ass off. Great video!

[@randyneves9701]

He had 66% strike accuracy That’s actually awful

[@BillyM82094]

1:49 Boone getting his money’s worth 😂😂😂

[@mrknopick]

I love how you used one of the old Craig Ferguson Swear Flags in the clip! :) Miss that show!

[@Tardisius]

This is Baseball....Sportsmanship...& F-Bombs....=))

[@brianlance]

tbh, even though they were right up in each other's faces, it looked like a pretty lighthearted argument compared to some of what we see these days. I like to imagine Laz and Alex went out to the bar after and had a good laugh about this over a couple pints.

[@markcushines3517]

(#63/Laz Diaz) is my favorite umpire. He is the second Latino MLB umpire to be promoted to crew chief.

[@Suzyrn601]

I think Boone sees the handwriting on the wall with the Yankees. He has to argue more and more calls to try to look like he knows what he is doing. What he doesn't understand is that it makes him look more stupid!!

[@priceright8963]

Usually we see the old-school tirades from managers, but never the umpires. I'll wait until I see Laz's scorecard, but for this call he earned this one.

[@teebob21]

89% accuracy, 95% consistency, on a zero-margin-of-measurement-error basis. 147 of 166 pitches correctly called. 13 of the 19 misses were pitches less than 2.8 inches off the outside part of the plate, between the knees and the midpoint. Honestly, not a horrible night for anyone, but one with a gaping hole in the zone that won't be tolerated in the Modern Era where perfect officiating is demanded in an imperfect game played by imperfect players who can't manage to get the bat off their shoulders and defend the plate.

[@totallykoolyeah]

Tons of typers think it's easy

[@CommonSense823]

3/4 of the misses went against the Yankees. 66% called strike accuracy. Cherry picking stats and saying Laz didn’t have a horrible night is, well, disingenuous at best.

[@ringosk1]

@@CommonSense823yeah, 66% called strike accuracy is really bad. Sometimes I think commenters here are actually fans of the Ump Show and not baseball.

[@CommonSense823]

@@ringosk1 Especially on this channel

[@michaelfinnegan1306]

These horrible umpires should be held accountable....friggin' terrible

[@dinosaurdanny6971]

This is gonna be a meme, right? Yeah. This has got to be a meme.

[@michaelfalkner1186]

It's always fun when Laz Diaz is involved...

[@jeffreyfaul4681]

Laz Diaz Rocks....F.U. last place big boys.. this was more entertaining than most mlb games that I've seen in the last week.....loved boone's strike zone depiction...wath this every morning to get me laughing

[@nickpoole583]

It’s entertainment! We paying extra to watch 2 guys beat the crap out of each other. The most exciting part of hockey? The fights. Let them argue. MLB has gotten so obsessed with computerizing everything they have taken all sense of entertainment and fun out of the game!

[@wild_sergeant716]

If I had a nickel for every time Laz Diaz went nose to nose in an argument with an ejected Yankees manager, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it's happened twice.

[@ku4uv]

And the Academy Award goes to----- Aaron Boone!

[@babababad]

Loving these "found dance move" moments

[@pavanatanaya]

2:07 Tim Anderson gets triggered when A-A-Ron punches the air

[@BamaMTA04]

This never surprises me since Boone was ejected from his 1st MLB game as a player. He's always been a clown.

[@pamsuepmnos2371]

Boone does his best work with a capable dance partner.

[@gmlongo1]

It would help if Laz didn't setup 2 feet off the plate. Then maybe he could see the outside corner.

[@teebob21]

Tell us you don't umpire without telling us you don't umpire. Diaz is properly set up in the Slot, with his cheek on the inner corner of the plate.

[@gmlongo1]

@@teebob21 he is too far in the slot and has no visibility of the outside corner. Which should be obvious since he missed about 15 in one game.

[@billbell2311]

Where do you think he should be, directly over the catcher's head? It's called the slot, and he's where he's supposed to be.

[@teebob21]

@@gmlongo1 How many games a year do you work? Diaz's setup location is textbook. If you worked hardball, you'd know that you can absolutely see the outside corner from the slot. Now, was he judging it incorrectly by about 2 inches? Yes, but that's a completely different topic.

[@gmlongo1]

@@billbell2311 His eyes are supposed to be lined up with the inside corner of the plate as much as is feasible based on the catcher's position. But if you look at 0:29, his eyes are like 8-10 inches from where they should be.

[@alvinthecat8426]

Two months left in the season and 1/2 the teams going nowhere. Get ready for some great baseball and more magnus opera. Laz Diaz needs to be the HP umpire for the opening game of the World Series. Yes, this is what baseball needs.

[@MXSHYYYY]

You already know you have angry coaches when they sponsor Hooters in the background.

[@itheuserfirst3186]

"Yeah, I hear about it every fuckig day!" LMAO!

[@totallykoolyeah]

Wow this is classic. No covering the plate with dirt? Hes no billy martin ha

[@matthewdahs3993]

My favorite is the Cws Anounceer saying He was micking his strike call Lol

[@DNSKansas]

Laz Diaz keeps the memory of Eric Gregg's gargantuan strike zone alive

[@Kevin_Aus]

Maybe this is secretly good guy Boone, just trying to get the Anderson incident out of the headlines and replace it with something else?

[@jcorona984]

0:42 the slight dig at TA 🤣

[@teebob21]

Slight?

[@alanhess9306]

TA is a bit brain damaged.

[@roybokelman4215]

Watching Tim Anderson take a nap in the middle of a game is what its all about.

[@teebob21]

DOWN GOES ANDERSON!

[@chriscoccagna5917]

The last two runs scored by the Sox were on a pitch two inches off the plate that the batter for the Sox put down the right field line....ADAPT !!!

[@geoffroi-le-Hook]

We need a sound effect for "going to town"

[@danballe]

These past two days felt and looked similar to those olde baseball vid day; but with the video reviews and new rules, of course. 😅😅😂

[@teebob21]

In 1993, viewers and players would have been complaining that Diaz was super tight on the inside pitch.

[@jimtoms7591]

Somehow, I doubt that Diaz, a former Marine, is in any way intimidated by Boone, the way a younger umpire might inclined to be.

[@robertbyington7715]

I’m sorry but this is brilliant Laz and Hernandez are the worst ball strike umpires in the majors

[@jeffhodge7272]

Aaron F***ing Boone!😂

[@oilersbluejayscanada]

You gotta love Aaron Boone🤣🤣

[@rgk99]

Think LAZ will do his strikeout move when BOONE is fired in a couple Months?

[@savagecombatives2765]

That is what every umpire should do on every ejection. In my opinion anyone who wouldn't is pathetic. Just because you umpire doesn't mean you are a rug to be walked all over without defending yourself to the same degree they are coming after you. No one in MLB has a right to come after you like that, no where in the rules does it say you have the right to yell and scream at some one even if they are blatantly wrong. In this instance the rules definitely don't allow you to argue balls and strikes and to say anything wasn't arguing balls and strikes is ridiculous but some one will try to say well after he was ejected then it changed over to this and start making excuses for why it is ok. If you don't, figuratively speaking, choke slam situations like this they will continue to happen and won't stop until you make them stop or at least know there is a price to pay to come after you. I've met Laz on several occasions and he is a super nice guy but don't mess with him because the outcome won't be favorable. This is how it usually ends up when you go after a Marine.

[@jeraldwilson8185]

Or... you can make the proper calls and avoid any interactions. Mr. Diaz had too many BIG misses for an MLB umpire. It was a bad plate job. Not defending Boone's abuse at all, but he had a right to be miffed. It was a horrible plate job. I was watching this game on TV, and there were multiple misses every single inning. Literally, every inning. So... make the right call, and you won't have any issues.

[@danbev9313]

​@@jeraldwilson8185 You could not be more wrong as we have all seen umpires on these vids make correct calls and still players and managers act the fool. Happens all the time. Only someone who has never umpired would make your statement

[@JayD73]

What makes you think that yelling back at a manager will stop mangers from yelling in the future. It’s not like they’re scared of you there’s no threat it’s just going to be a shouting match and 9/10 they want that it fires up the team and people will just say you’re sensitive especially if you’re wrong. it’s a no win situation If you want to defend yourself that’s fine but don’t act like that’ll actually do something

[@danbev9313]

@@JayD73 No umpire cares about some nerd calling them sensitive. Umpiring is all about mental toughness. They hear bitching and moaning all game long (which is what non umpires dont understand). Its good to see Boone for once get back what he dishes out. In fact I wish Diaz would have told Boone that he sucks as a manager and told him of all the F ups he's responsible for this year

[@JayD73]

@@danbev9313 read what I said because your comment is irrelevant to my point I was responding to the assertion that yelling back at a manager is going to prevent managers from yelling in the future. Which obviously it won’t. I don’t care about how you view yourself

[@lastdance2099]

Getting ejected over balls and strikes is always pretty stupid, but getting ejected in the late innings with your team down by one run ... that's just abdicating your responsibility and giving up on your team. If you're not interested in doing your job and just giving up even in close games you should just resign.

[@jax6588]

That Is the best

[@RobZelinka]

Another fantastic analysis. Laz is an old school umpire and this video illustrates two reasons why. First, he was calling lots of strikes, mostly on the outer half. Back in a different time period, that was how the game was sped up and as long as the zone was consistent players on both sides simply adjusted. As an umpire it was not too uncommon to grab a marginal first pitch strike which the batter usually conceded even if it were off the plate. Not in today’s game. Every pitch is scrutinized and debated. The second point is this argument was illustrative of how umpires would give it right back which as pointed out by Lin, isn’t what is wanted or accepted by MLB in the modern game. Another reason which likely influenced many old school umpires to retire and will contribute to more doing so after this season.

[@mptr1783]

great post. First of all, they need to remove the "box" from the tv screen. And, you have umps that are tight and people cry they need to open it up.....then you get the Laz Diazs who have a big zone and the same bozos say hes bad.....soon we'll have robo umps and the young generation crybabies will see how bad the hitters really are today

[@obiwon76]

Nobody said a word when Cease walked 7 batters right? Guess the strike zone was pretty tight on those.

[@helviojr]

Oh, best baseball video of the year!

[@benhansen1474]

This felt like something out of WWE 😂

[@Youngstomata]

So the real question is, will Boone top THIS ejection???

[@cami-loo108]

Makes you wonder if Aaron gets ejected because he just doesn't want to watch his team play

[@teebob21]

After September, I highly doubt he'll be forced to watch the Yankees play anymore.

[@taurusteelpan]

I think Boone just needed someone to vent his frustration and Laz was the perfect opportunity.

[@jacobrichardson1952]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 JESUS CHRIST THIS IS HILARIOUS 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@johncaccamo]

Nothing less professional than an umpire getting into a cussing insult match with a guy he ejected. Except maybe a pilot leaving the cockpit in flight to berate a passenger who asked for more peanuts.

[@kevinichter7362]

what is funny is they can go at it like that then the next time they meet, its like Hey Aaron, hows family..... :) short memories in baseball...

[@drewz9807]

If Aaron Boone showed 1% of this passion to his players, maybe the Yankees wouldn’t be in last place. Laz was awful last night, but the Yankees were worse.

[@darinlegore284]

was this a get-away day? Zone was larger. usually on rain delayd games or get away days

[@teebob21]

Over the years, Diaz has consistently called a bit bigger zone than his colleagues, especially on the outside corner to RHBs.

[@jonathanandujar6412]

Yo I was laughing my ass off my goodness lmao 🤣

[@hnc098]

I will be interested to see how Laz rated on the umpire scorecard. Can you remind us what average scores regarding accuracy, precision, etc typically are? Thanks

[@teebob21]

This was the worst plate performance by an MLB umpire this year, and Diaz still got 89% of pitches called correctly, with 95% consistency. It was definitely a subpar night for him, as his expected accuracy was 93.7%. Of 166 callable pitches, 147 were called correctly. (Remember that UmpScorecard uses a zero-error measurement system that assumes every Trackman simulation is a perfect measurement.) 13 of his 17 misses were balls called strikes on the outside of the plate between the knees and the midpoint. If the first inning slider to Torres with a pX of 1.15 was the worst miss of the day, and it appears to be using the UmpScorecard graphic, Diaz never missed a single pitch by more than 2.8 inches.

[@mptr1783]

@@teebob21 Yanks walked 8 times, and scored 1 run....Laz wasnt great but its time to stop blaming the umps A-A-Ron

[@snapmalloy5556]

​@teebob21 I noticed you failed to mentioned his 66% strike called accuracy. That is horrendous. It's beyond horrendous. It should be firable. He is an embarrassment to MLB

[@teebob21]

@@snapmalloy5556He had a big zone. Oh well.

[@snapmalloy5556]

@@teebob21 "Oh well" turns the game into a travesty

[@eymannreport4177]

question is will boone be facing another suspension?

[@tigerlee1106]

With this tirade ABSOLUTELY 1 game at least. He has been suspended before. Maybe 2 this time

[@eymannreport4177]

@@tigerlee1106 2 games is a real possibility

[@no_problem8023]

If you're gonna make a fool of yourself in front of thousands and thousands of people, at least make sure it wasn't after a strike.

[@mptr1783]

haha, so true.......

[@spencermackay9020]

If you see Laz Diaz at the shop he's still got the shoes on and he's still standing like that.

[@russellbrooker2122]

Doesnt want them to happen? If a coach wants to come out and give it he better be able to handle it right back.

[@ku4uv]

You would think as many times as Boone has been ejected arguing balls and strikes he would have learned by now.

[@ethanlculver]

Laz Diaz is a terrible umpire. I wouldn’t have even waited until the 8th inning to go off on him and let him know how God awful he is at his job.

[@willharper7888]

🤣🤣🤣 NOW THAT WAS FUNNY!! #boone #strikezone 👏👏👏🤘

[@EwanSpence]

Yes we all love the Mario and are ready for it, but from one Scot via another, that Craig Ferguson ay caramba nod was ::frenchkiss::

[@vincenthuying98]

Laz Diaz definitely needs to go see an optometrist, Boone hit the spot with his impression of Laz’s strike calls. Would be great when MLB shifts umps like Diaz and Hernandez to the retirement roster. Plus, starts a debrief for any ump after every game, just to get them sharper. And what about obligatory periodical MLB ump eye check-ups!

[@teebob21]

"Start a debrief for any ump after every game" Bruh: tell us you don't umpire without telling us you don't umpire. The crew will always do a postgame review, even at the subvarsity HS levels.

[@stephenj.schneider5185]

And for the record, the call that broke Boone's psyche was a strike.

[@teebob21]

Good ol' 1/10 Boone.

[@michaelmagic988]

lol very funny i like boone now

[@stephenj9470]

The ejections must be juiced this year for there to be so many. Only explanation.

[@waynelawrence5220]

All is good, the yanks lost the game and that POS Boone got ejected. Great ending.

[@jacobcriss5624]

this comment section is just other bad umpires reassuring themselves that “no, it’s the managers and players that are the problem with baseball”

[@teebob21]

Here's some interesting data about this game: This was the worst plate performance by an MLB umpire this year, and Diaz *still* got 89% of pitches called correctly. Of 166 callable pitches, 147 were called correctly. Yes, his outside corner to righties was too big: 13 of his 17 misses were balls called strikes on the outside of the plate between the knees and the midpoint. For better or worse, he has always called a wide zone on hittable pitches. (Low-level umpires: this is a good thing in leagues where the pitchers can't hit the broadside of a barn, let along a 17-inch plate) If the first inning slider to Torres with a pX of 1.15 was the worst miss of the day, and it appears to be using the UmpScorecard graphic, Diaz never missed a single pitch by more than 2.8 inches.

[@CommonSense823]

66% called strike accuracy. Cherry picking stats is a great way to make yourself look really stupid.

[@rj7411]

Fine Boone please!!!

[@jeraldwilson8185]

How about we fine Laz Diaz for those atrocious calls?

[@jacobcriss5624]

fine Boone, demote Laz

[@richblunt1309]

Props to DJ LeMatheiu for not getting tossed. Diaz needs to go find a golf course, like yapping back at the manager when he was terrible all night and are STRUGGLING to even walk with out his back giving out is an embarassment to the game.

[@randombastid725]

Maybe Angel H isn't so bad after all 🤔

[@anthonytrevon865]

Im just waiting on the Jomboy breakdown 😂

[@blackops4854]

Why was laz in the scissor for.the first clip but not for the rest of the game

[@richardzink6026]

How Boone is still the manager is beyond me

[@jluchette]

Boone-ys doing his best! I’m an unbiased observer. I know Boone his playing time for my old favorite MLB team. Now that team doesn’t exist, I’m not gonna bandwagon jump. I just watch baseball because I love the sport. Not a “fan” of any team. Boone-y is frustrated and who wouldn’t be? A multi-billion dollar roster, a franchise with the ability to outbid any franchise for any player… and they’re not competitive this year. I’d be frustrated too, seeing billions of dollars worth of talent play mediocre baseball. And what are they gonna do? TRADE someone like Judge? Rebuild?? Haha it’s the Yankees. Boone knows he’ll get blamed, fired, and the Yanks will throw another few billion at Ohtani or whoever. There is no “rebuilding” with the Yankees. They run that team like the Worls Series window os OPEN EVERY YEAR. He knows it a losing season. He knows reasonable franchises would unload some hefty contracts for prospects, see what they’ve got in AAA, and build for 2024 and beyond. But the Yankees? No such thing. Boone knows what the team should do, they’re not doing it, and he’s going to lose his job.