It didn’t take long for New York Yankees fans to get their money’s worth on Monday. Not even a full inning.
It was only five pitches into the game against the Oakland A’s when home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt tossed manager Aaron Boone. Despite it not being his fault.
Wendelstedt was asked postgame about the interaction.
According to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, all of the responsibility lands on Boone’s shoulders. No matter who uttered the words.
“Aaron Boone is the manager of the New York Yankees and is responsible for everything that happens in that dugout. … I don’t want to eject a ballplayer,” Wendlestedt said. “We need to keep them in the game. That’s what the fans pay to see. Aaron Boone runs the Yankees. He got ejected.”
Home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt said he heard something from the area of the dugout, and rather than determine who said it: "Aaron Boone is the manager of the New York Yankees and is responsible for everything that happens in that dugout. … I don’t want to eject a…
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) April 22, 2024
Wendelstedt continues …
“Everything you said is exactly kind of what was communicated on the field. 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. The manager’s there, Aaron took the hit and he probably you know is not the one who made the comment but once again, he’s the manager of the Yankees and he’s responsible for the team.”
Here’s what went down initially:
After some back-and-forth words, Boone was instructed by Wendelstedt to be quiet or he would be ejected. Boone obliged. However, that was until a spectator seated behind the Yankees dugout said something and Wendelstedt immediately threw Boone out.
Thanks to a hot mic, the exchanged words were heard.
“I don’t care who said it. You’re gone!” Wendelstedt said.
"I don't care who said it. You're gone!"
Not usually how that works but at least we got an awesome hot mic situation out of this Aaron Boone ejection pic.twitter.com/EX2xUsjtKA
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) April 22, 2024
Another angle:
YES Network had every angle (and all the audio) from Aaron Boone’s ejection, but this is the money shot.
Shows how Hunter Wendelstedt tossed Boone … because of a fan behind the dugout.
To which Wendelstedt says: "I don't care who said it. You're gone."pic.twitter.com/Ua9p9m7Sks
— Max Goodman (@MaxTGoodman) April 22, 2024
Said fan was also located rather quickly. He was located sporting a blue sweatshirt:
The fan that made the umpire eject Aaron Boone 😂 pic.twitter.com/wIA5S8iS98
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 22, 2024
The Yankees would fall, 2-0, to the A’s.
