The New York Yankees began a four-game series against the Oakland Athletics at Yankee Stadium in a matinee on Monday afternoon. However, the series opener didn’t last too long for Yankees manager Aaron Boone.
Five pitches into the game, his afternoon was over. In a bizarre scene that was all caught on camera, Boone looks to have been ejected for something that a fan behind the team’s dugout was yelling at home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt.
The first batter of the game, Esteury Ruiz, was deemed to have been hit by a pitch on a 0-2 count. Boone and the Yankees dugout voiced their displeasure, as they believed that Ruiz had swung at the pitch, which would negate being hit.
“You’re not yelling at me,” Wendelstedt yelled at Boone, clear as day on the broadcast. “I did what I was 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.”
One pitcher later, Wendelstedt heard something from that direction and ejected Boone.
The back and forth that ensued after will certainly draw some scrutiny, as television cameras clearly pick up someone, not Boone yelling at Wendelstedt. In fact, Boone wasn’t even looking at home plate when he was thrown out of the game.
Boone voiced his displeasure, pleading his case. He asked the other umpires to help Wendelstedt to try and prove that it wasn’t him who said something. Boone’s words fell on deaf ears, as the home plate umpire had had enough five pitches into the game.
“I don’t care who said it,” Wendelstedt said. “You’re gone.”
“What do you mean you don’t care?” Boone said. “I did not say a word. It was up above our dugout. Bulls—! Bulls—! I didn’t say anything. I did not say anything, Hunter. I didn’t say a f—ing thing.”
That is certainly not how Boone or the Yankees wanted this series against the Athletics starting out. It is the second time this season that he has been ejected. Since 2018, Boone has been ejected 18 times, which is the most among managers in Major League Baseball.
