Game 4 of the 2024 World Series was the only game the Los Angeles Dodgers lost to the New York Yankees, and it also featured one of the strangest plays in recent memory.
In the bottom of the first inning, Mookie Betts attempted to make a catch down the right field line in foul territory, but two fans, identified as Austin Capobianco and John Peter by ESPN, interfered with him.
Capobianco first grabbed Betts’ glove with both hands and pulled the ball out before Peter grabbed Betts’ throwing hand, bordering on assault more than just interference.
After the Dodgers ended up winning Game 5 to clinch the World Series title, Betts ended up revealing his true feeling on the incident via the MLB on FOX postgame show:
“That was wild, man. That was really wild. I have never experienced anything like that. I was telling my wife that was like the second time in my life I’ve ever wanted to fight someone. But I get it, man. I get it. I don’t know if he was trying to get the ball, or what he was really trying to do. But he had to do what he had to do. It is what it is.”
The out was still called, so it didn’t affect the Dodgers’ in the game. But at the time, Betts was frustrated by the incident, although he downplayed it after the game, calling it “irrelevant” and adding he wasn’t aware at first that the fan was grabbing him.
“When it comes to the person in play, it doesn’t matter,” Betts said after Game 4. “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.”
Capobianco and Peter were both ejected from the stadium, but the Yankees originally told them they could come back for Game 5 as they had season tickets at those seats. However, they changed course after MLB asked the Yankees to ban the two fans from the following game.
Whether they will be allowed back into future games is still a decision the Yankees need to make, but if the Yankees did the right thing, neither fan would be allowed back into their stadium.
Yankees fans planned on interfering
For Capobianco and Peter, their decision to interfere with Betts wasn’t just a spur of the moment and a mistake they regret. The two have planned and discussed interfering if a ball came to them in an effort to help the Yankees win, despite the injury it could cause to a player or that umpires will call it an out regardless due to MLB fan interference rules.
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