It wasn’t a good night for New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks.
Hicks was pulled from the game in the fifth inning after manager Aaron Boone made a critical error that cost the Yankees two runs.
Of course, mistakes happen in baseball. Even some of the best players in the game make mistakes. But that’s what Hicks did when he fouled out, prompting Boone’s call to bench him.
With two outs and runners on first and second base for the Tampa Bay Rays in the fourth inning, a fly ball was skied toward the foul line in left field and Hicks was tracking it. He should have made the play, but the ball bounced out of his glove and hit the hazard warning track.
But Hicks was the only one in the building who didn’t realize he touched the ball in the right zone. Instead, he just put his hands on his hips and kept his head down until he heard loud screams that the ball was fair.
Because of that move, the two runs made the inning 3-0 instead of down 1-0.
If that wasn’t enough, the next batter was Randy Arozarena who singled to left. While the 100-mile-per-hour exit velocity made the play difficult, Hicks misjudged it completely and the ball went over his head. Another run made it 4-0.
Yankee fans went right to boos, and when the top of the fifth inning came around, Estevan Florial singled into left field to replace Hicks. It was an unforgivable play, and Boone made it clear when Florial replaced him.
It’s also worth noting that several Yankees have been injured, so pulling a healthy Hicks to keep a player with just one cup of coffee in the big leagues this season is another sign that the veteran switch-hitter was pulled for his poor play.
