In the midst of Tuesday night’s Yankees-Blue Jays game, tensions escalated between the Yankees and the Blue Jays due to an ongoing controversy related to Aaron Judge’s side glance to the Yankees’ dug-out. Coaches from both sides engaged in a dispute on Tuesday over the positioning of Yankees’ third base coach, Luis Rojas. As emotions ran high, the cameras of the YES Network captured Blue Jays manager John Schneider shouting, “Shut up, shut up, fat boy, shut up.”
It was later revealed that Schneider’s remarks at Rogers Centre were directed toward Brad Wilkerson, who is the Yankees’ assistant hitting coach. The 45-year-old, who is 6-foot tall and weighs 200 pounds, is considered to be the target as speculation mounted later on the individual referred to as the “fat boy.”
Wilkerson stated that he would be interested in hearing Schneider’s perspective on the incident. He acknowledged that situations like these can occur, mentioning that they were attempting to protect their players while staying in the dugout. The Yankees coach mentioned that he was unaware of the situation until after the game, when he saw the coverage in the New York Post and on television, indicating that he was the person to whom the comment was directed.
During the YES Network broadcast, the play-by-play man Michael Kay commented that he had read Schneider’s lips and heard him say, “Shut up, fat boy.” An article in the New York Post published was the first to highlight Schneider’s “fat boy” comment. It wrote that his target could be Aaron Boone, Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo, or Jose Trevino. Kay also mentioned that Boone is not overweight and expressed uncertainty about who Schneider was referring to as a “fat boy.” Kay even jokingly suggested that Schneider might be talking about him.
Aaron Judge holds the highest weight on the team at 282 pounds, but his stature at 6 feet 7 inches doesn’t fit the fat-boy narration. First baseman Anthony Rizzo, standing at 6 feet 3 inches and weighing 240 pounds, doesn’t look fat.
Yankees assistant hitting coach Brad Wilkerson, although somewhat heavier, did not appear to be directly involved in the ongoing dispute. Could he have been directing his comments toward catcher Jose Trevino, who has a sturdy physique at 5 feet 10 inches and weighs 215 pounds?
Schneider did not provide any information regarding the intended recipient of his words. He told reporters after the game, as reported by the Toronto Sun, that it was a situation involving two competitive teams, who were dissatisfied with the recent events that had unfolded in the past 24 hours.
Finding the Yankees’ ‘fat boy’
The Yankees‘ assistant hitting coach is aware of the speculation surrounding the comment, which has gained significant attention and has been attributed to him. According to Wilkerson, the comment and the subsequent media coverage surrounding it have turned into a lighthearted joke among the Yankees’ coaches and players.
Wilkerson commented that when he saw the incident being covered in the New York Post and similar publications, it became a source of amusement to him and his team. He mentioned that they would occasionally bring it up and find it funny. Wilkerson clarified that he didn’t have any prior connection with the Blue Jays manager, who is listed at 6-foot-3, 250 pounds according to Baseball Reference. He emphasized that their main focus is on their own dugout and clubhouse, and the situation brought some laughter.
When asked if he has been receiving comments from the Yankees clubhouse about the incident, Wilkerson responded with a quip, stating that he made sure to inform them that there were a couple of individuals featured in the New York Post alongside him, referring to the accompanying pictures. He clarified that it wasn’t just him, and he shared this information with his teammates.
The Yankees have experienced a series of dramatic events in their first two games of the series. During Monday’s game, the Blue Jays broadcasters observed that Aaron Judge, the reigning American League MVP, was looking sideways during an at-bat in the eighth inning before hitting a massive 462-foot home run to center field. Blue Jays relief pitcher Jay Jackson confirmed to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic on Tuesday night that he was unintentionally tipping his slider. This revelation put an end to speculation that the Yankees and Judge were engaging in any illicit activities to gain an unfair advantage, as relaying signs to a batter without the use of technology is within the boundaries of MLB rules.
When questioned on Wednesday about whether he had directed his yelling at a specific individual in the Yankees dugout, Schneider asserted that he had not. Schneider stated that it was the heat of the moment and emphasized that being in a competitive environment could lead to people saying things they might later regret.
Wilkerson, the ex-major league outfielder, was not caught off guard by Schneider’s decision to keep the target undisclosed. However, the incident has now become a source of good-natured teasing among the members of the Yankees’ clubhouse. Boone mentioned that he was not aware of Schneider’s comment at the time it was made. However, he did express concern about the Blue Jays directing their attention toward Rojas.
Boone expressed his disapproval of the situation, particularly given his high regard for Luis Rojas. He emphasized the importance of the team’s focus on themselves, their dugout, their players, and the game itself. Boone emphasized their efforts to avoid getting involved in such distractions.
Jays distrust their players
The Blue Jays recognized the need to prevent their players from inadvertently revealing information on the field. However, they did raise concerns about the positioning of the Yankees’ on-field coaches during Monday’s game. They believed that the coaches’ placement on the field might have facilitated the exchange of information more easily, especially if the first base coach, Travis Chapman, had been standing in the designated box.
Schneider stated on Tuesday that he believed the presence of designated boxes on the field served a purpose. He also mentioned that when a coach is noticeably positioned outside of the designated spot, such as being 30 feet away, it becomes evident and leads to certain conclusions.
During Tuesday’s game, the Blue Jays once again expressed their dissatisfaction with the Yankees’ coaches standing outside the designated on-field box. They specifically highlighted the positioning of Rojas, noting that he was not in the correct spot. Schneider mentioned that pitching coach Pete Walker playfully pointed out this issue, which resulted in a brief exchange of heated words between the dugouts and ultimately led to Schneider’s “fat boy” comment.
The drama continued as Yankees starting pitcher Domingo German was ejected in the fourth inning due to the presence of an excessively sticky substance on his hand. On Wednesday, the league imposed a fine and a 10-game suspension on German.
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