Yankees’ Aaron Boone ejected after fan heckles home plate umpire

“It’s embarrassing,” Boone said after the game, which ended as a 2-0 win for the visiting Oakland A’s. “I think everyone saw what happened.”

Wendelstedt, who has worked MLB games since 1998 and was working home plate on Monday, said afterward that he heard one comment too many “from the far end of the dugout,” away from where Boone was positioned, and took action against Boone because “he’s the manager of the Yankees and he’s responsible for the team.”

The episode unfolded after the first batter of the game, Oakland’s Esteury Ruiz, was allowed to go to first base when a pitch hit his back foot. Boone argued that Ruiz swung at the pitch, but first base umpire John Tumpane ruled that he did not go around.

After the first pitch to the next Oakland batter, a hot mic picked up Wendelstedt shouting at Boone, “You’re not yelling at me. 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, okay?”

A moment later, before Yankees starter Carlos Rodon could throw his second pitch to Tyler Nevin, Wendelstedt turned back to Boone and yelled, “Aaron, you’re done!”

“I don’t care who said it,” the umpire added. “You’re gone!”

Boone and Yankees bench coach Brad Ausmus immediately protested and pointed to the stands to make their case about the source of the heckling. Boone then rushed onto the field, hurling expletives while repeatedly telling Wendelstedt he “did not say anything.”

“I did not say a word,” Boone could be heard telling the umpire. “It was up above our dugout.”

At one point, Wendelstedt could be heard responding, “You’re probably right, Aaron.”

After the game, Boone told reporters he “really didn’t even go after Hunter” and was “more upset” about Tumpane’s ruling on the appeal to first.

“I said ‘Hunter, you can call it, too’ and he came back at me pretty hard, to which I didn’t respond,” Boone said. “I just said, ‘Okay,’ went down and — it’s embarrassing. It really is bad.”

“I was standing down, and I heard, ‘You’re gone, Aaron,’” Boone added. “I couldn’t believe it.”

In comments to a pool reporter, Wendelstedt said, “In my opinion, the cheap shot came toward the far end. So instead of me being aggressive and walking down to that far end and trying to figure out who might have said it, I don’t want to eject a ballplayer. We need to keep them in the game. That’s what the fans pay to see. Aaron Boone runs the Yankees. He got ejected.”

“Apparently what he said was there was a fan right above the dugout. This isn’t my first ejection,” Wendelstedt added. “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.”

The son of longtime MLB umpire Harry Wendelstedt, Hunter Wendelstedt also followed in his father’s footsteps as the operator of an umpiring school that bears their name. He has worked a World Series in 2014, as well as four league championship series and a number of other postseason games.

Boone was ejected for the second time this season and the 35th time in a managerial career that dates back to 2018. He told reporters Monday that he has “a good relationship with a lot of [umpires]” and said there was no bad blood between himself and Wendelstedt.

“I’m obviously a little more vocal and fiery than some, so I’m sure it gets some people perked up,” Boone said. “But overall, I feel like I’m treated fairly.”

Boone’s ejection did not mark the earliest point at which a manager has been tossed from a game. On at least two occasions several decades ago, legendary Baltimore Orioles skipper Earl Weaver got ejected during a pregame exchange of lineup cards.

“If I saw Aaron walking out, he’s gonna ask me where I’m going to dinner,” Wendelstedt said in agreeing that he and Boone have no ongoing issue with one another (via the Athletic). “I hope he has a good time with his family tonight.”