Aaron Boone continues to question controversial bat as Astros outfielder fumes

With an 8-3 lead in the ninth inning over the Houston Astros on Thursday, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone chose the wake of Taylor Trammell's double as the perfect opportunity to revisit a pregame storyline.

Boone and the Yankees had reportedly grown wary of Trammell's bat and its unique coloring over the first two games of the series, and alerted Major League Baseball to their concerns before the game. MLB purportedly agreed enough to give Boone a head nod, but not enough to discipline or question Trammell before the game.

Hence the oddness of Boone asking for one final check immediately after Trammell's double, which caused a mid-drama rain delay and reminded Astros fans why they hate the team wearing gray.

Boone's post-victory (and post-exhale) explanation for the incident definitely helped clarify things, and included a lot of "not saying, just saying" about the visible discoloration on the bat. Was it sanded down? Affected in some way? Or just paint? Now, that's on the league offices to decide — and hopefully the decision comes sooner than some of these interminable reviews.

Yankees' Aaron Boone still doesn't know what's up with Astros outfielder Taylor Trammell's weird bat

Astros fans raged at the timing of the umpires' intervention, but let's be real: it certainly didn't help an ice cold David Bednar regain his command. Instead, the Yankees closer continued to seek the strike zone after the extended delay (and five days off). Pausing the game so every member of this incompetent umpiring crew could stare at the coloration of Trammell's bat probably benefitted his team more than it hurt them.

But that didn't stop him from pointing the finger back at Boone in the postgame, giving reporters a verbal version of the sarcastic double thumbs up he displayed when the crew told him he could stay at second base.

"To be honest, I have no idea how you shave down a bat. I don't know what it is," isn't a phenomenal defense. Pleading total ignorance certainly makes someone look as "defensive" as they're attempting not to be.

Odds are, this Trammell chase will go nowhere, and it'll just provide the Astros an additional chip on their shoulder if a playoff rematch manifests itself. Either way, it probably would've been better for the umpires to handle it behind the scenes pregame rather than following a rally starter.

After all, if the bat truly isn't shaved or affected in any way, than Trammell should've been able to hit just as well with any piece of lumber ... right?