In a recent incident during the Yankees’ game against the Oakland Athletics, manager Aaron Boone was ejected despite not breaching any conduct rules. The event occurred during the Yankees’ 2-0 loss and involved a case of mistaken identity. Boone, standing in the dugout, was ejected by home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt early in the game.
The confusion arose during Tyler Nevin’s second at-bat when Wendelstedt, mistaking a fan’s shouts for Boone’s voice, initially warned the Yankees manager. Subsequently, believing Boone had continued to heckle him, Wendelstedt ejected him. Later video and slow-motion replay revealed that it was actually a fan above the dugout who had yelled, not Boone.
Boone, maintaining his innocence, expressed his frustration post-game, labeling the ejection as “embarrassing” and hinting at contacting Major League Baseball regarding the error. Wendelstedt, in response, dismissed Boone’s protests with a terse, “I don’t care who said it. You’re gone!”
