During the Oakland Athletics vs. New York Yankees game on Monday, there was one of the most bizarre ejections in recent memory. The Yankees broadcasters couldn’t resist making light of it a day later.
In the first inning of Monday’s game, home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt dismissed New York captain Aaron Boone when he believed that noise from disgruntled spectators was coming from the team’s bench. On Tuesday, the positions were turned and there was yelling in the A’s dugout.
Home plate umpire John Tumpane ruled a strike on a 0-1 offering from Yankees pitcher Marcus Stroman to Oakland’s Esteury Ruiz despite it seeming to be well outside. Some disputes were heard from the Oakland dugout by Tumpane. Not liking what he heard, Tumpane did yell at the A’s bench but did not dismiss anyone. The obvious parallel was made by Ryan Ruocco, who was announcing the game for the Yankees on the YES Network.
Was that a Hunter Wendelstedt impression, John Tumpane? Ruocco made reference to Wendlestedt’s explanation of Boone’s ejection, saying, “There’s Hunter didn’t want to take ownership of that yesterday, either,” without clarifying that the remarks were not made by any players on the Yankee bench.
As the camera shifted to the seats behind the Oakland dugout, Ruocco delivered one last dig.
Did any of them really do it, or was there someone in the A’s dugout? Ruocco chuckled.
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