After being briefly hailed as heroes, New York Yankees fans who grabbed a ball out of Mookie Betts’ glove after grabbing his wrist won’t see their team, or anything else, for a long time.
Austin Capobianco and John P. Hansen were reportedly banned from all MLB stadiums indefinitely because of the incident.
During the bottom of the first inning in Game 4 of the World Series, with the Yanks trailing three games to none, Gleyber Torres hit a pop fly down the right field line that went toward the stands. Betts jumped for the ball and caught it, but he appeared to be in a danger zone.
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Fans Austin Capobianco (left) and John P. Hansen (right) mingle with Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers as he tries to catch a fly ball in foul territory during the first inning of Game 4 of the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on October 29, 2024 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The play resulted in an out. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
A Yankee fan in the front row tried to rip Betts’ glove off his hand and take the ball out, and another fan held Betts’ wrist when the ball finally came out.
Fans were escorted out of the stadium but were initially allowed to return the following evening before the team reversed course and donated the tickets to a child with cancer and his family.
The Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder didn’t talk much about the ordeal after Game 4, but after Game 5 he let it all out.
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts gets caught in foul territory as a New York Yankees fan interferes during the first inning of Game 4 of the 2024 World Series at Yankee Stadium in New York on October 29, 2024. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)
“It was crazy, man. It was really crazy. I’ve never experienced anything like that. I told my wife it was the second time in my life I’ve ever wanted to fight somebody,” Betts told FOX, after he won his third World Series title. “I get it, man. I get it. I don’t know if he was trying to get the ball, don’t know what he was really trying to do. But he had to do what he had to do and that’s what is.”
Capobianco defended his actions, saying it was to help the Yankees.
“We always joke with the ball in our area,” Capobianco told ESPN. “We won’t go out of our way to attack. If it’s in our area, we’ll go D up.”
Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts catches a ball in foul territory against the New York Yankees in the first inning during Game 4 of the 2024 World Series at Yankee Stadium. (Robert Deutsch/Imagn Images)
The fans sat in the seats of a friend who has been a season ticket holder since 1990. This fan is allowed to keep the season tickets.
