NEW YORK — New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone may not have said anything to get himself ejected, but he had plenty to say after.
Boone ripped home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt’s decision to toss him just five pitches into a 2-0 loss to the Oakland Athletics on Monday at Yankee Stadium, an ejection that occurred after the umpire appeared to mistake a heckling fan above the dugout for Boone.
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“It’s embarrassing,” Boone said.
He added, “I couldn’t believe it.”
Boone said he didn’t say a word to deserve getting thrown out — and TV cameras backed him up.
With a 0-1 count and a runner on first base for the A’s’ Tyler Nevin in the first inning, Wendelstedt gave the Yankees an official warning to shut up. In the prior at-bat, Boone complained that he believed leadoff man Esteury Ruiz had swung when starting pitcher Carlos Rodón’s slider hit Ruiz on his back foot. But first base umpire John Tumpane called it a check swing, awarding Ruiz first base. Boone said he thought he made his point firmly to Wendelstedt, who shot back with fiery words.
“Got anything else to say, you’re gone,” Wendelstedt said.
Then a fan seated behind the Yankees’ dugout heckled Wendelstedt. The umpire blamed Boone, who was actually standing silently at the top step, examining his nails.
Aaron Boone was ejected two batters into today's Yankees game.
Boone: “I didn’t say anything.”
Umpire: "I don't care who said it. You're gone."
🎥 @TalkinYanks pic.twitter.com/Nsx7XtpryY
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 22, 2024
Boone immediately erupted, running on the field, waving his hands and getting in Wendelstedt’s face.
“I don’t care who said it,” the ump said. “You’re gone.”
“Bulls—. What do you mean you don’t care?” Boone said. “I did not say a word. It was above our dugout.”
After the game, Wendelstedt offered a curious defense of his decision to eject Boone.
He said tensions were high following the Ruiz hit by pitch, and that he heard someone make a “cheap shot” at him from the “far end of the dugout.” He said he didn’t hear a specific fan ridicule him, even though he acknowledged that Boone was pointing to one in particular. He added that he didn’t know who had crossed the line, but because Boone was the Yankees’ manager, he decided to throw him out.
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“I know what Aaron was saying,” Wendelstedt said, “that it was a fan above the dugout. That’s fine and dandy. There were plenty of fans that were yelling at me before I called a pitch till the end of the game. What happened was, it wasn’t him, it wasn’t over where (bench coach Brad) Ausmus was. It wasn’t where the coaching staff and Aaron (were), but Aaron Boone is the manager of the New York Yankees and is responsible for everything that happens in that dugout.”
Wendelstedt added that Boone “probably didn’t” make the comment that prompted him to eject the manager.
Wendelstedt said he has no beef with Boone, whose 34 career ejections are the most among managers since he took over his role in 2018. It was Boone’s second ejection this season. On April 28, 2001, Boone was playing for the Cincinnati Reds and his father was the team’s manager when Wendelstedt threw both out of the same game.
“If I saw Aaron walking out, he’s gonna ask me where I’m going to dinner. I hope he has a good time with his family tonight,” Wendelstedt said.
Boone said he planned to take the issue to Major League Baseball. He has spoken in the past about feeling like umpires give him a quick hook. But he said he didn’t believe his reputation, as someone who is known to argue, played a role in Wendelstedt’s decision.
“I’m sure (it’s) human nature — I’m obviously more fiery and vocal than some,” Boone said. “I’m sure it gets some people perked up, but overall I feel like I’m treated fairly.”
"It was not right."
– Aaron Boone on his ejection pic.twitter.com/PV732hHxfB
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) April 22, 2024
Boone added that he got even more angry when Wendelstadt told him he didn’t care whether he was the one who heckled him.
“Sure,” Boone said. “He came at me hard.”
Yankees players were shocked by the move. First baseman Anthony Rizzo said he’d never seen a manager ejected so quickly. Rodón said he saw the fan pointing to himself as the heckler, seemingly trying to take the heat off Boone as he argued with the umpire.
“I know Boonie didn’t say anything in that moment but I guess it was just a misunderstanding,” Rodón said.
(Photo: Mike Stobe / Getty Images)