A wild scene unfolded at Yankee Stadium just five pitches into the game, as home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt tossed New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone from the game.
However, it appeared a fan screaming toward Wendelstedt triggered the veteran umpire to eject Boone, who had words with him just seconds earlier, from the game.
After the Oakland Athletics won, 2-0, over the Yankees, Boone spoke with reporters, during which he called Wendelstedt’s move “embarrassing.” He also implied that the Yankees would be contacting Major League Baseball about it.
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Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees argues with home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt #21 in the first inning during the game against the Oakland Athletics at Yankee Stadium on April 22, 2024 in New York City. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
The YES Network broadcast caught the moment Boone was ejected, where the manager was pleading with Wendelstedt, pointing to a fan behind the dugout and saying, “I didn’t say a f—ing thing” after he was warned not to speak.
But Wendelstedt said, “I don’t care who said it. You’re gone!”
UMPIRE ERRONEOUSLY EJECTS YANKEES’ AARON BOONE AFTER FAN YELLS FROM STANDS
The broadcast ended up showing an alternate angle of the moment Boone was ejected, where a fan was seen in the first row just behind the Yankees’ dugout screaming something toward Wendelstedt, who reacted immediately after hearing it.
Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees argues with third base umpire Marvin Hudson #51 in the first inning during the game against the Oakland Athletics at Yankee Stadium on April 22, 2024 in New York City. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
After the game, Wendelstedt told a pool reporter he had not seen a replay of the incident.
“Apparently what he said was there was a fan right above the dugout,” Wendelstedt said, via MLB.com. “This isn’t my first ejection. In the entirety of my career, I have never ejected a player or a manager for something a fan has said. I understand that’s going to be part of a story or something like that because that’s what Aaron was portraying. I heard something come from the far end of the dugout, had nothing to do with his area, but he’s the manager of the Yankees. So he’s the one that had to go.
“Everything you said is exactly kind of what was communicated on the field,” Wendelstedt continued. “That’s what Aaron said. He said that ‘a fan said it, a fan said it.’ I said, ‘I don’t care who said it.’ … It’s foolish to throw out a player if you don’t know who did it.”
Umpire Hunter Wendelstedt on the field during the second inning between the San Diego Padres and the St. Louis Cardinals at Petco Park on April 2, 2024 in San Diego, California. (Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)
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While Boone watched the game from the clubhouse, the Yankees’ offense struggled mightily, scattering just three hits.
The A’s finally got on the board with a two-run homer by Zack Gelof in the top of the ninth inning off Yankees reliever Victor Gonzalez.
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