Aaron Boone did not tie the record for fastest ejection, but the New York Yankees manager did think it was among the most unjust dismissals.
Boone was thrown out of Monday’s 2-0 loss to the Oakland Athletics five pitches in by Hunter Wendelstedt over a remark the Yankees maintained was yelled by a fan behind the dugout, while the plate umpire said it was something shouted from the far end of New York’s bench.
“It’s embarrassing,” Boone said. “I couldn’t believe it.”
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Wendelstedt initially told the manager he would be thrown out for any other comments after Boone raised his hands questioning a call that put Esteury Ruiz on first base after he was hit on the back foot by Carlos Rodon’s slider leading off the game.
As the umpire put his mask back on and walked behind catcher Shea Langeliers, a fan behind the dugout in a blue shirt appeared to yell at Wendelstedt.
The umpire pulled off his mask and demonstratively waved his right arm in an arc, thumb extended, screaming: “Aaron, you’re done. I don’t care who said it. You’re gone.”
Boone ran onto the field and pointed to the fan.
“It was above our dugout,” Boone said. ”I didn’t say anything. I did not say anything.”
“I don’t care who said it, you’re gone,” Wendelstedt said.
Boone went on to declare several times that “I did not say a word,” along with several profanities.
After the game, Wendelstedt said that as manager of the Yankees, Boone is “responsible for everything that happens in that dugout.”
Boone was ejected for the second time this season and for the 35th time in seven seasons as Yankees manager. He intended to speak with MLB about the situation.
“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.”
Wendelstedt, 52, who has been around long enough to have ejected Boone as a player in 2001, maintained he does not hold grudges.
“If you look up my ejections, you’ll see Bobby Cox multiple times, Ron Gardenhire and I a lot,” he said. ”People don’t realize that Ron Gardenhire is just a stubborn German like me and after we might have a situation, we like to have a cold beer and talk about it.”
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