NEW YORK, NY — Yankees manager Aaron Boone was ejected from a game against the Oakland Athletics on Monday, despite not actually violating any conduct rules. The incident, which unfolded during the Yankees’ 2-0 loss, involved a case of mistaken identity. Boone was ejected by home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt early in the game while Boone stood in the dugout.
The confusion began during the second at-bat with Tyler Nevin at the plate. Wendelstedt, mistaking a fan’s shouts for Boone’s voice, issued a warning to the Yankees manager. Moments later, believing Boone had continued to heckle him, Wendelstedt ejected him. Video and slo-mo replay later showed it was a fan above the dugout who had yelled, not Boone.
Boone, who remained adamant about his innocence, expressed his frustration after the game, describing the ejection as “embarrassing” and indicating he might contact Major League Baseball regarding the oversight. Wendelstedt, on his part, dismissed Boone’s protests with a curt, “I don’t care who said it. You’re gone!”