It's One of the Strangest Baseball Ejections in a While

Ump tosses Yankees manager Aaron Boone, but it was a fan who did the heckling
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 23, 2024 9:17 AM CDT
It's One of the Strangest Baseball Ejections in a While
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone, right, argues with umpire Hunter Wendelstedt during the first inning of a game against the Oakland Athletics at Yankee Stadium Monday, April 22, 2024.   (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Yankees manager Aaron Boone has been tossed from plenty of games, but the way he got ejected Monday is one for the books—an apparent case of mistaken identity. It seems that ump Hunter Wendelstedt got heckled by a fan but thought it was Boone, reports USA Today. There's even some Zapruder-level analysis going on about what really happened.

  • A warning: After Boone carped from the dugout about Wendelstedt's call for a review of a checked swing, the ump warned him that if he said anything else, he'd be ejected. Cameras show that Boone abided, per MLB.com. But a few seconds later, a fan behind Boone yelled at the ump, who then turned and tossed the manager.
  • Futile protest: "I did not say a word! It was above the dugout!" Boone is heard telling Wendelstedt, who replied, "I don't care who said it. You're gone!" Boone tries to plead his case, to no avail. All of this happened just five pitches into the Yankees' game against the A's.

  • The scene: Watch it all unfold here. (Note, there's some salty language.)
  • The fan: The YES network has a clip of the fan who did the yelling here.
  • Aftermath: A fuming Boone told reporters after the game the ejection was "embarrassing" for the league, per Fox Sports. And Wendelstedt stood by his call with a somewhat puzzling defense: "Aaron Boone is the manager of the New York Yankees and is responsible for everything that happens in that dugout." The Daily News reports that MLB will review the matter.
(More New York Yankees stories.)

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