The ninth inning of Thursday’s game between the New York Yankees and Houston Astros was delayed due to controversy surrounding the bat of Astros outfielder Taylor Trammell.
After Trammell hit a double in the bottom of the ninth, giving Houston two walks with no outs, Yankees manager Aaron Boone asked the umpiring crew to inspect Trammell’s bat, which they did. After inspecting a discolored area on the body of the bat and consulting with replay officials in New York, they confiscated it.
Boone and the explanation of why
After the game, Boone explained the situation to reporters, “It was something we noticed in this series and we asked the league. You’re not allowed to do anything to the bat. I’m not saying he did. Just… we noticed and the league thought maybe it was illegal too”.
“The discoloration was on the label, I don’t know if it was natural or sand… I don’t know. I don’t want to accuse Taylor. I’m not saying anything inappropriate or anything like that,” he said.
Tramell’s reaction
As for Trammell, he expressed his frustration after the game and related what he was told about his bat:
“I’ve had that bat since I got here. I’ve had it for a long time. I usually use that bat. I use it in games, in Sugar Land, whenever I need it. The only thing is that it doesn’t have a shiny finish. It’s matte. The paint wears off. That’s what happens.”
“I just got told they thought my bat was too sharp. To be honest, I have no idea how to shave a bat. I don’t know what it is. Right now I feel a little defensive. I’m baffled that they checked it. They didn’t like it. I’m sorry. I used it in the first at-bat and it wasn’t a problem. I struck out and it wasn’t a problem then,” he said.
Read the full article here
