Inside The Pinstripes

Aaron Boone Reacts to Mike Ford's Controversial Home Run Celebration

Ford homered against his former team on Monday night, flipping his bat before shushing in the direction of the Yankees' dugout.

Max Goodman

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ANAHEIM — Mike Ford hasn't exactly spread his wings since the Yankees designated him for assignment and subsequently traded him away last summer. 

The first baseman has suited up for eight different teams in 2022, four at the big-league level and four down in Triple-A. Entering play on Monday night, the 30-year-old was hitting .225 in 60 total games across both levels, batting .179 in the Major Leagues. 

So when Ford stepped up to the plate for the Angels in the bottom of the fourth on Monday, after Anthony Rizzo had given New York a lead with a towering home run in the top of the frame, Yankees fans in attendance at Angel Stadium weren't concerned in the slightest.

That's when Ford ambushed a first-pitch cutter from starter Frankie Montas, walloping a solo home run 395 feet down the right field line. It was Ford's first home run in the big leagues this year, his first MLB home run not in a Yankees uniform. 

What happened next was even more notable than Ford's first big fly since May 22 of last year. Leaning back to admire his work, Ford flipped his bat emphatically, putting his right index finger up to his lips, shushing two times. 

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The immediate assumption was that Ford was gesturing toward the Yankees dugout. Was it a friendly expression toward some of his former teammates and coaches, or did it come with malicious intent, directed at a team that recently let him go? Could it have been a message to fans heckling him?

After the game, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was asked about that play, an important blow in what turned out to be a 4-3 loss for New York, their third in a row. 

"I'm hoping that wasn't the case and he was looking somewhere else," Boone said. "If he did, yeah, that would aggravate me. But I'm not so sure that was the case."

Boone added that he's not looking for "things to get mad at," focusing on the fact that his team didn't get the job done between the lines.

Whether Ford speaks out about the moment or not, we'll never know for certain what the slugger's motive was. Boone has a solid point, though. Rather than focusing on a controversial celebration from an old friend, this team needs to pay attention to the fact that they've lost three games in a row to lowly opponents, failing once again to mount more than a few runs on offense.

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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