The managerial ejection is an art form, one that has been mastered by few throughout MLB history. To be truly appreciated it has to be firm enough to get the point across, but funny enough that fans can laugh at it later.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone may not be known for his fiery tirades, but he knows how to get his money's worth. Boone was being ejected at a torrid pace early in 2023 — four times in April and May — but has slowed down as the season has gone.
Still, Boone's six ejections are tied for the most by any manager in MLB, along with David Bell of the Reds. But Boone's nine ejections in 2022 were also the most in the league, meaning his 15 ejections since the start of that season are the most in the sport. A big part of that is the mere existence of Aaron Judge, whom he believes is umpired differently from other players because of his sheer size.
Boone isn't especially close to the total ejection record -- Bobby Cox holds a nearly-unbreakable full season (162 games) of ejections. He amassed that over the course of a 29-year career with the Braves, Blue Jays, and Braves again.
Boone, in his sixth season, has 32 ejections to date, meaning if he managed 27 years he could break Cox's record. If Boone did that, he would break it at 71 years old, two years older than the year Cox retired.
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As far as single-season ejections go, that number is far more attainable — albeit still likely out of reach. The record is 11, held by four people (John McGraw was ejected 11 times in 1905 and 1906). After 52 games Boone was on pace for 12 ejections; but after 103 games, he is now on pace for 9.4.
Boone's nine ejections in 2022 were good for 16th all-time, with 10 managers sitting at 10 in a season. Among active managers, Bruce Bochy, Bob Melvin, Terry Francona, Bud Black, and Buck Showalter are above Boone (and all have significant seniority). Impressively, Boone has already been ejected more than Dusty Baker, who has been ejected just 25 times in 26 seasons as a manager.
How many times has Aaron Boone been ejected in 2023?
Boone has been ejected six times so far in 2023, including twice in a work week.
Boone was ejected April 12 against the Guardians for arguing that Cleveland took too long to challenge an Aaron Hicks catch. On May 15, he was tossed for arguing on behalf of Judge against the Blue Jays.
In a May 21 tilt with the Reds, he didn't last after the first inning after arguing that a foul ball should not have been overturned to fair. Later that week on May 25 against the Orioles, he was tossed after saying Edwin Moscoso missed four calls that prolonged a difficult inning for Clarke Schmidt.
On July 2, Boone had an early exit after arguing balls and strikes following a DJ LeMahieu strikeout. And, most recently (and notably), Boone was ejected for doing the same to Laz Diaz. After he was tossed, he drew a line in the batter's box and mimicked Diaz's strike call before being ushered off the field.
Below are some of Boone's ejection highlights from 2023.
Most MLB manager ejections in a season
Boone has a ways to go to threaten the season record for managerial ejections, but he can still potentially crack the top-10.
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He's already 16th all-time with his nine ejections in 2022, and the inimitable Bobby Cox has three seasons with 10 or more ejections. John McGraw is also a frequent flyer, with four seasons of 10 or more, while Bill Dahlen and Paul Richards are tied for the record with 11.
| Manager | Ejections | Year | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bobby Cox | 11 | 2001 | 162 |
| Bill Dahlen | 11 | 1910 | 156 |
| John McGraw | 11 | 1905 | 155 |
| John McGraw | 11 | 1906 | 153 |
| Paul Richards | 11 | 1952 | 156 |
| Roger Bresnahan | 10 | 1909 | 154 |
| Bobby Cox | 10 | 1999 | 162 |
| Bobby Cox | 10 | 2007 | 162 |
| Bill Dahlen | 10 | 1911 | 154 |
| Johnny Evers | 10 | 1913 | 155 |
| Jerry Manuel | 10 | 2003 | 162 |
| John McGraw | 10 | 1910 | 155 |
| John McGraw | 10 | 1915 | 155 |
| Paul Richards | 10 | 1956 | 154 |
| Earl Weaver | 10 | 1975 | 159 |
| Aaron Boone | 9 | 2022 | 162 |
| Bobby Cox | 9 | 2003 | 162 |
| Bobby Cox | 9 | 2006 | 162 |
| Bill Dahlen | 9 | 1912 | 153 |
| Frankie Frisch | 9 | 1940 | 156 |
| Frankie Frisch | 9 | 1944 | 158 |
| Burleigh Grimes | 9 | 1937 | 155 |
| John McGraw | 9 | 1914 | 156 |
| Earl Weaver | 9 | 1976 | 162 |
| Earl Weaver | 9 | 1979 | 159 |
| Buddy Bell | 8 | 2000 | 162 |
| Buddy Bell | 8 | 2001 | 162 |
| David Bell | 8 | 2019 | 162 |
| Pat Corrales | 8 | 1983 | 148 |
| Bobby Cox | 8 | 1984 | 163 |
| Frankie Frisch | 8 | 1942 | 151 |
| Frankie Frisch | 8 | 1945 | 155 |
| Ron Gardenhire | 8 | 2006 | 162 |
| Ron Gardenhire | 8 | 2019 | 161 |
| John Gibbons | 8 | 2005 | 162 |
| John Gibbons | 8 | 2016 | 162 |
| Clark Griffith | 8 | 1902 | 138 |
| Clark Griffith | 8 | 1906 | 155 |
| Clark Griffith | 8 | 1910 | 156 |
| Frank Lucchesi | 8 | 1976 | 162 |
| John McGraw | 8 | 1908 | 157 |
| Hal McRae | 8 | 1993 | 162 |
| Rick Renteria | 8 | 2019 | 161 |
| Paul Richards | 8 | 1961 | 136 |
| Bill Rigney | 8 | 1956 | 154 |
| Cal Ripken Sr. | 8 | 1987 | 162 |
| Larry Schlafly | 8 | 1914 | 155 |
| Eddie Stanky | 8 | 1953 | 157 |
| Earl Weaver | 8 | 1973 | 162 |
| Earl Weaver | 8 | 1974 | 162 |
Bold - Denotes active manager
Most MLB manager ejections in a career
Also known as the Bobby Cox Award, the former Braves and Blue Jays manager holds a possibly unbreakable 162 ejections.
Boone, for his part, sits at 30 just six years into his MLB career, an impressive pace to be sure.
| Player (years managed) | Ejections | Total Games |
|---|---|---|
| Bobby Cox (29) | 162 | 4508 |
| John McGraw (33) | 121 | 4769 |
| Leo Durocher (24) | 100 | 3739 |
| Earl Weaver (17) | 96 | 2541 |
| Tony La Russa (35) | 93 | 5387 |
| Frankie Frisch (16) | 88 | 2246 |
| Ron Gardenhire (16) | 84 | 2480 |
| Paul Richards (12) | 82 | 1837 |
| Bruce Bochy (26) | 78 | 4081 |
| Clark Griffith (20) | 73 | 2917 |
| Jim Leyland (22) | 73 | 3499 |
| Joe Torre (29) | 70 | 4329 |
| Clint Hurdle (17) | 64 | 2615 |
| Lou Piniella (23) | 64 | 3548 |
| Bill Rigney (18) | 64 | 2561 |
| Joe Maddon (19) | 59 | 2599 |
| Dick Williams (21) | 57 | 3023 |
| Sparky Anderson (26) | 56 | 4030 |
| Bob Melvin (20) | 55 | 2830 |
| Gene Mauch (26) | 54 | 3942 |
| John Gibbons (11) | 53 | 1582 |
| Charlie Manuel (12) | 52 | 1826 |
| Jimmy Dykes (21) | 51 | 2962 |
| Mike Hargrove (16) | 50 | 2363 |
| Tommy Lasorda (21) | 48 | 3040 |
| Billy Martin (16) | 48 | 2267 |
| Terry Francona (23) | 47 | 3509 |
| Mike Scioscia (19) | 47 | 3078 |
| Ned Yost (16) | 47 | 2544 |
| Jim Fregosi (15) | 46 | 2122 |
| Ralph Houk (20) | 45 | 3157 |
| Fred Hutchinson (12) | 45 | 1666 |
| Phil Garner (15) | 44 | 2040 |
| Bobby Valentine (16) | 44 | 2351 |
| Joe Girardi (14) | 43 | 2055 |
| Buddy Bell (9) | 42 | 1243 |
| Whitey Herzog (18) | 42 | 2409 |
| Terry Collins (13) | 40 | 2012 |
| Casey Stengel (25) | 40 | 3766 |
| Pat Corrales (9) | 38 | 1211 |
| Don Mattingly (12) | 38 | 1839 |
| Chuck Tanner (19) | 38 | 2738 |
| Walter Alston (23) | 37 | 3658 |
| Dave Bristol (11) | 37 | 1424 |
| Bill Dahlen (4) | 36 | 615 |
| Davey Johnson (17) | 36 | 2445 |
| Bud Black (16) | 35 | 2283 |
| Fred Clarke (19) | 35 | 2826 |
| Buck Showalter (22) | 34 | 3282 |
| John McNamara (19) | 33 | 2395 |
| Eric Wedge (10) | 33 | 1620 |
| Jimy Williams (12) | 33 | 1701 |
| Bill McKechnie (25) | 32 | 3647 |
| Aaron Boone (6) | 32 | 821 |
| Darrell Johnson (8) | 31 | 1063 |
| Fielder Jones (10) | 31 | 1297 |
| Al Lopez+ (17) | 31 | 2425 |
| Jerry Manuel (9) | 30 | 1390 |
| Rick Renteria (5) | 30 | 707 |
| Larry Bowa (6) | 29 | 853 |
Best Bobby Cox ejections
Getting ejected isn't enough to be an ejection king. The ejections have to have some humor to them. Boone accidentally spitting in the face of an umpire May 25 against the Orioles qualifies. And while not a manager, Kyle Schwarber has what might be the funniest ejection of all time in 2022.
Cox is no slouch in that department. There was the '96 World Series against the Yankees, when he started fighting his team to make his point.
The helmet toss moment in the 1992 World Series.
And, of course, the last one.
Most active MLB manager ejections
Boone is already making a name for himself among MLB umpires. He has been ejected more than any other manager since he came into the league, and he is already sixth among active managers behind Bochy, Melvin, Francona, Black, and Showalter, all of whom have 10 or more years of experience on him.
Even though Boone won't threaten Cox — it's unlikely anyone ever will — he certainly has a shot at being the leading active manager sometime within the next five or six years if he keeps up this pace and some older managers start to retire.
| Player (yrs, age) | Manager Ejections | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Bruce Bochy (26, 68) | 78 | 4081 |
| Bob Melvin (20, 61) | 55 | 2830 |
| Terry Francona (23, 64) | 47 | 3509 |
| Bud Black (16, 66) | 35 | 2283 |
| Buck Showalter (22, 67) | 34 | 3282 |
| Aaron Boone (6, 50) | 32 | 821 |
| Craig Counsell (9, 52) | 27 | 1220 |
| Dusty Baker (26, 74) | 25 | 3933 |
| David Bell (5, 50) | 23 | 596 |
| A.J. Hinch (10, 49) | 21 | 139 |
TSN's Jacob Camenker also contributed to this report.