Home
During Game 4 of the 2024 World Series, an incident involving a New York Yankees fan and Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts sparked a stir among baseball fans. The moment unfolded when Gleyber Torres hit a ball down the right field foul line, and Betts attempted to catch it. However, fans seated nearby interfered, leading to a chaotic scene where one fan managed to pry the ball from Betts' glove while another held onto the outfielder's arms.
The fan who grabbed Betts' glove was identified as Austin Capobianco, a 38-year-old Yankees season ticket holder, along with his friend John Peter, who was seated beside him. After the incident, both fans were ejected from the stadium, visibly aware of the consequences as they gathered their belongings.
In an interview with ESPN from a local bar post-game, Capobianco shared his thoughts on the situation. "We always joke about the ball in our area. We're not going to go out of our way to attack. If it's in our area, we're going to 'D' up. Someone defends, someone knocks the ball. We talk about it. We're willing to do this. I know when I'm in the wrong and as soon as I did it, I was like, 'Boys I'm out of here.' I patrol that wall and they know that."
Betts, on the other hand, expressed his frustration regarding the incident. Despite the interference, Torres was ultimately called out, as Betts had caught the foul ball before it was taken from him. Reflecting on the event, Betts stated, "When it comes to the person in play, it doesn't matter. We lost. It's irrelevant. I'm fine. He's fine. Everything's cool. We lost the game, and that's what I'm kind of focused on. We got to turn the page and get ready for tomorrow."
The Dodgers lost the game 11-4, setting up a pivotal Game 5 against the Yankees. Initially, Capobianco and Peter thought they would be allowed to return for Game 5, but MLB has since requested that the Yankees ban them from attending. The league announced it would refund their tickets for the game.
Fan interference isn't a new phenomenon in baseball. In fact, a similar incident occurred during Game 1 of the 2024 World Series, where a fan interfered with a ball, prompting quick action as he packed up to leave. As Game 5 approaches, it remains uncertain whether Capobianco and Peter will find themselves back in their seats along the right field line.
