Aaron Boone's "savages in the box" rant came on July 18, 2019, in the second inning of a doubleheader opener against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. Rookie umpire Brennan Miller tossed him, the mics caught every word, and a battered New York Yankees team turned it into a motto on the way to 103 wins.
It's still the best thing Boone's ever said on a baseball field. And he said most of it with his face about six inches from an umpire's.
A Manager Nobody Expected to Snap
Boone was in his second season in the dugout (the club hired him with zero managing experience), and his whole reputation was calm. Even-keeled. The guy who'd tell you he loved the at-bat after a strikeout.
He also had every reason to be losing his mind by July. Aaron Judge had strained his left oblique on April 20 and didn't come back until June 21. Giancarlo Stanton would play 18 games all year. Luis Severino hadn't thrown a big-league pitch and wouldn't until September. The injured list wasn't a list anymore. It was a second roster.
The Second Inning
The Rays opened the game with back-to-back homers off Domingo German, courtesy of Austin Meadows and Yandy Diaz. Not a great start. Then Miller rang up Brett Gardner on a called third strike in the second, and Gardy went back to the dugout and beat his bat against the rack nine times, then against the dugout roof eight more (somebody counted, and I'm grateful).
Boone started chirping from the dugout. Miller told him, "I heard you, Aaron." Boone kept going. Miller threw him out.
That's when Boone came out of the dugout, got right up in Miller's face, clapped for emphasis, and let the YES microphones have it.
My guys are f--ing savages in that f--ing box, right? And you're having a piece of s--t start to this game. I feel bad for you, but f--ing get better.
He said the savages part more than once. He wanted to make sure it landed.
Savages, Plural
The Yankees won the opener 6-2. Gio Urshela had three hits and three RBI, German settled down for his 12th win, and he gave his manager the credit: "I loved it. Personally, I fed off that energy." They took the nightcap 5-1 for the sweep, and Luke Voit summed up the clubhouse mood better than anyone: "Not a lot of coaches I think would back it up and use that type of word, but I think we appreciate it -- and we are a bunch of savages."
The players handed Boone the postgame championship belt, the prize that usually goes to whoever did the most to win the game. CC Sabathia went on ESPN's Get Up! and graded the rant a 10 out of 10. (Fair. I'd have gone 11.)
MLB saw it a little differently. Joe Torre's office suspended Boone one game and fined him for "inappropriate actions" and for making contact with Miller -- Boone admitted his hat got him. He served it the next night against Colorado and told reporters that "some of the foul language, I'm not real proud of." Notice which part he didn't apologize for.
The clip did the rest. A fan-subtitled video of the argument hit the internet about 15 minutes after the ejection, it went everywhere, and "Savages in the Box" shirts were on sale before anybody at the Stadium had finished laughing.
Next Man Up, Taken to the Extreme
Here's why the line stuck: it described a lineup that, on paper, shouldn't have scared anyone.
The 2019 Yankees put 30 different players on the injured list, a Major League record. The old mark was 28, set by the 2016 Dodgers, and the Yankees broke it in late August when Urshela -- a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency depth guy who'd turned into one of the best hitters on the team -- went down with a groin strain as No. 29. By the club's own count, it added up to 39 IL stints.
And the replacements hit. Urshela finished at .314 with 21 homers and 74 RBI. The team went 103-59 and won the AL East. I don't think a rant wins anybody 103 games, but it gave a roster full of fill-ins something to call themselves, and that's not nothing.
The 2019 season page has the full ride, from the Twins sweep to the ALCS against Houston that ended in six games (and still stings).
| Date / Site | Thursday, July 18, 2019, Yankee Stadium |
| Opponent | Tampa Bay Rays (doubleheader Game 1) |
| Umpire | Brennan Miller (rookie, home plate) |
| Ejection | 2nd inning, after a called third strike on Brett Gardner |
| Final Scores | Yankees 6-2 and 5-1 (doubleheader sweep) |
| Discipline | One-game suspension plus a fine |
| 2019 Players on IL | 30 (MLB record; old mark 28, 2016 Dodgers) |
| 2019 Record | 103-59, AL East champions |
Miller, Again
Baseball has a sense of humor. On May 19, 2026, Miller was working second base when the Blue Jays came to the Stadium, and he ruled that Daulton Varsho had caught a diving liner off Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s bat. Replays suggested the ball hit the grass first. Boone, with no challenge left, came out hot and Miller ran him again.
The Yankees won that one 5-4. Miller has now thrown Boone out in two different decades, which feels like something somebody should be tracking.
Judge Goes Down
Aaron Judge strains his left oblique on a single against Kansas City. He doesn't return until June 21.
Savages in the Box
Brennan Miller ejects Boone in the second inning of a doubleheader opener against Tampa Bay. The Yankees sweep, 6-2 and 5-1.
Boone Serves His Suspension
Boone sits out one game against the Rockies after MLB suspends and fines him.
The Record Falls
Gio Urshela becomes the 29th Yankee on the injured list, passing the 2016 Dodgers' record of 28. The final count reaches 30.
Severino Finally Pitches
Luis Severino makes his 2019 debut against the Angels with four scoreless innings. He makes three starts all year.
The Sequel
Miller, working second base, and Boone clash again against Toronto. Boone gets tossed; the Yankees win 5-4.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Aaron Boone say in his 'savages in the box' rant?
After his ejection on July 18, 2019, Boone told umpire Brennan Miller, "My guys are f--ing savages in that f--ing box, right? And you're having a piece of s--t start to this game. I feel bad for you, but f--ing get better." The broadcast mics picked it up.
Who was the umpire Aaron Boone yelled at in the savages rant?
Brennan Miller, a rookie umpire working home plate for Game 1 of a Yankees-Rays doubleheader at Yankee Stadium. He ejected Boone in the second inning after Boone argued a called third strike on Brett Gardner. Miller ejected Boone again on May 19, 2026, against Toronto.
Was Aaron Boone suspended for the savages rant?
Yes. MLB suspended him one game and fined him for "inappropriate actions" and for making contact with Miller during the argument. He served the suspension on July 19, 2019, against the Colorado Rockies.
How many players did the 2019 Yankees put on the injured list?
Thirty different players, a Major League record. The previous mark was 28, set by the 2016 Los Angeles Dodgers. The Yankees still went 103-59 and won the AL East.
Seven years later, Boone and Miller are still at it. Some partnerships just work.