The New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics opened their four-game series with a rare Monday matinee at Yankee Stadium, but the game was overshadowed by the unusual ejection of Yankees manager Aaron Boone. Boone was ejected five pitches into the game after a disagreement with home-plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt. The incident began when Athletics leadoff hitter Tony Kemp was hit by a pitch on an 0-2 count. The Yankees’ dugout believed Kemp had swung at the pitch, but Wendelstedt ruled that he had not. Boone expressed his disapproval, prompting Wendelstedt to warn him that he would be ejected if he continued to argue. After another pitch, Wendelstedt ejected Boone after hearing an objection from the Yankees’ dugout. Boone protested that a fan behind the dugout had made the remark, not him or another Yankee. However, Wendelstedt insisted that he did not care who had said it and that Boone was gone. Boone continued to argue as he was escorted off the field, denying that he had said anything. Bench coach Brad Ausmus took over as acting manager in the dugout.
After the game, Boone remained upset and emphasized that someone behind the dugout had made the comment that led to his ejection. Wendelstedt had not yet seen a replay of the incident but explained that he believed the “cheap shot” came from a player at the far end of the Yankees’ dugout. He stated that he chose to eject Boone rather than try to identify the player who had made the comment in order to keep the game going. Boone expressed frustration with Wendelstedt’s ruling that Kemp had not swung at the pitch, which he believed could have warranted a different outcome.
The ejection was not the earliest in MLB history, as other managers and coaches have been ejected for comments made by fans in the past. However, it was an unusual and controversial incident that added to the drama of the game.
