New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone was ejected from Monday’s 2-0 loss to the Oakland Athletics in the fifth inning for a remark that he claims was made by a fan behind the dugout instead of him.
The incident occurred after Esteury Ruiz was hit by a Carlos Rodón slider leading off the game. Standing on the dugout steps, Boone raised his hands, questioning whether Ruiz swung at the pitch. First base umpire John Tumpane determined Ruiz did not swing and should go to first base.
After a called strike to Tyler Nevin, Wendelstedt removed his mask, took a few steps toward the Yankees’ dugout, and could be heard by a YES Network microphone yelling at Boone: “Hey, guess what? You’re not yelling at me. I did what I’m supposed to do and checked! I’m looking for him to get hit by the pitch! You got anything else to say, you’re gone! OK?”
Wendelstedt pointed at Boone as he finished. Boone, leaning on the dugout rail with his left arm, held up his left hand as if to signal OK, then gave the umpire a thumbs-up.
As the umpire put his mask back on and walked behind catcher Shea Langeliers, a fan behind the dugout in a blue shirt appeared to yell at Wendelstedt. The umpire pulled off his mask and demonstratively waved his right arm in an arc, thumb extended, screaming: “Aaron, you’re done! I don’t care who said it. You’re gone!”
Boone ran onto the field and pointed to the fan. “It was above our dugout!” Boone exclaimed. “I didn’t say anything! I did not say anything!”
Wendelstedt responded: “I don’t care who said it, you’re gone!”
Boone went on to declare several times, “I did not say a word,” along with several profanities. Crew chief Marvin Hudson joined them in an attempt to calm Boone.
“You warned me, and I shut up,” Boone told Wendelstedt.
“You’re probably right, Aaron,” the umpire replied.
“I’m not probably right, I’m f—in right,” Boone responded.
After the game, Wendelstedt said that as manager of the Yankees, Boone is “responsible for everything that happens in that dugout.”
“In my opinion, the cheap shot came towards the far end, so instead of me being aggressive and walking down to the far end and trying to figure out who might have said it or who — I don’t want to eject a ballplayer; we need to keep them in the game. That’s what the fans pay to see. Aaron Boone runs the Yankees, he got ejected.”
