During the series finale of the New York Yankees series against the Houston Astros, Yankees manager Aaron Boone, in the ninth inning of an 8-3 game, called for the umpires to convene over an issue he identified.
That issue was the bat of Taylor Trammell, who had just hit a double to put runners on second and third with no one out. Boone called for the umpires to inspect the bat, and it was eventually confiscated and handed over to Major League Baseball.
The next day, Major League Baseball gave official word on the Trammell bat incident, which Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports was indeed illegal.
Aaron Boone Proven Right by MLB
The bat-confiscation issue was another highlight among many with the umpires from the Yankees and Astros series. After the umpires inspected the bat, it was confiscated and handed over to the MLB.
"Major League Baseball has ruled that Houston Astros outfielder Taylor Trammell's bat, which was confiscated in the ninth inning of Thursday night's game against the New York Yankees, was technically illegal," Kirschner reports.
While MLB deemed the bat illegal, they also clarified that the bat didn't provide Trammell any advantage. Kirschner also reported that, according to a league source, the umpires treated the situation as if there was "an impermissible glove color or design and told the player that he was no longer permitted to use the bat."
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The reason why Trammell's bat was deemed illegal was due to the discoloration on the barrel of his bat. While Boone called on the umpires to look over the bat, he clarified that it wasn't intended to accuse Trammell of cheating.
"I don't know if it was just natural," Boone said. I don't know. I don't want to accuse Taylor. I'm not saying anything untoward."
Trammell stated he had been using the bat for a long time, and he even used it multiple times during the Yankees game. It's an issue that was further amplified amid a series of questionable calls and umpiring that frustrated both fan bases.
The Yankees came out on top, surpassing the Boston Red Sox for second in the AL East. Boone was also proven correct in calling for an investigation into the bat, as it was officially deemed illegal, despite there being no competitive advantage.
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