Major League Baseball has banned the two New York Yankees fans who grabbed Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts’ glove, pried it open and jarred the baseball loose from attending Game 5 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night, a league spokesperson told The Athletic.
The spokesperson said the Yankees agreed with MLB’s decision to keep the fans from the ballpark for the contest.
“Well, A for effort.”
Fan interference was called on this play where a Yankee fan tried to take the ball out of Mookie Betts’ glove after an out. pic.twitter.com/iZ6taImncd
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 30, 2024
Austin Capobianco, 38, from Connecticut, was ejected after the incident in the first inning of the Yankees’ 11-4 win in Game 4 on Tuesday night. Another fan, who ESPN identified as John Peter, was ejected alongside Capobianco.
Darren Capobianco said his brother, Austin, is a Yankees season ticket holder. The Yankees have not commented on the future status of his seats. Austin Capobianco didn’t respond to text messages from The Athletic seeking comment this morning.
After the play, Capobianco tried arguing with stadium security that Betts’ glove had reached into foul territory.
In the bottom of the first inning, with the Yankees losing 2-0, leadoff hitter Gleyber Torres lifted a high pop into right field foul territory. When Betts snagged the ball with his glove above the padded wall, Capobianco gripped Betts’ glove with both hands, opened it, reached inside with his right hand and knocked the ball back onto the field. The umpires ruled the play fan interference and Torres was out.
“It doesn’t matter,” Betts said, when asked if he’d ever seen fans act so aggressively. “We lost, it’s irrelevant, I’m fine, he’s fine, everything’s cool. We lost the game, that’s what I’m kind of focused on, turn the page. Everything’s fine.”
(Top photo of fans interfering with Mookie Betts: Al Bello/Getty Images)
