LEMAHIEU GOT ROBBED, BUT BOONE'S REPUTATION DIDN'T HELP

Victim managing is no way to manage.

Let’s get one thing straight: to everyone watching — from the bleachers to the broadcast booth — DJ LeMahieu’s liner down the right-field line looked fair. Not “maybe fair,” not “kind of close,” but fair enough to warrant a double, a shot at a rally, and maybe even a win. It touched the white.

Except… First-base umpire Jeremie Rehak, standing right there ruled it foul. And as much as I’d love to roast him for it, part of me thinks — annoyingly — that he actually had the best angle. Frustrating, right?

Still, umpires blow calls all the time. That’s part of baseball’s charm and curse. The Yankees challenged immediately, and replays looked convincing to the entire population of Earth except for the replay crew back in New York, who apparently needed a Zapruder film to overturn it. They said “not enough evidence,” and that was that.

Now, here’s where things take a turn — enter Aaron Boone, stage left.

Boone — ever the Shakespearean tragedy of a manager — absolutely lost it. And to be fair (no pun intended), he was right to back his guy. If that ball stays fair, DJ is on second, and the Yankees have life. But Boone is also carrying around the baggage of being Baseball’s Premier Umpire Annoyer.

He’s been tossed 41 times in his career — many for chirping about balls and strikes, the kind of stuff that makes umps roll their eyes before you even open your mouth. So when Boone did what Boone does — threw his gum like an angry toddler and popped off — the umps didn’t hesitate. Out he went.

And honestly? I get it. You act like a clown enough times, don’t be surprised when the circus follows you around.

Yes, the umpires missed one. Yes, the replay system failed. But Boone didn’t exactly do himself (or the team) any favors. His constant need to play Captain Defender overshadows the fact that maybe — just maybe — he should be more focused on managing the actual team rather than burning calories arguing with blue.

The umps may have lost the Yankees a key opportunity, but Boone’s reputation made sure he didn’t even get the benefit of the doubt. At this point, the dude could ask what time it is and get tossed for arguing with a sundial.

Maybe it’s time he stopped trying to win ejections and started trying to win ballgames.

Yankees lose, 2-1.