UPDATE (Oct. 30, 9:45 a.m. PT): MLB reportedly requested the New York Yankees ban the two fans who interfered with Mookie Betts.
Game 4 of the World Series didn’t go as the Los Angeles Dodgers hoped, and it started out on a strange note.
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 interfered with him.
Identified as Austin Capobianco and John Peter by ESPN, the duo grabbed Betts’ hands and arm in an attempt to prevent him from making the leaping catch. Capobianco first grabbed Betts’ glove with both hands and pulled the ball out before Peter grabbed his throwing hand.
The out was still called on the play, but Betts was frustrated by the incident. Betts downplayed it after the game, calling it “irrelevant” and adding he wasn’t aware the fan grabbed him.
“When it comes to the person in play, it doesn’t matter,” Betts said. “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 ejected from of the game, as per usual under MLB rules with fan interference. However, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN, Capobianco is a Yankees season ticket holder and will be allowed back into the stadium for Game 5:
Capobianco and Peter were escorted out of Yankee Stadium but said they were told they would be allowed back for Game 5 on Wednesday. The Yankees did not immediately respond to ESPN’s request for comment regarding if that was indeed the case.
Rogers also added that it’s a scenario Capobianco and Peter have discussed before 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:
“We always joke about the ball in our area,” Capobianco, 38, said at a local bar after the game. “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.”
Thankfully for the Dodgers and Betts, he was not injured on the play and the umpires got the call right. Unfortunately, the stupidity of the two men remains unchanged.
If the Yankees do not change course and once again let the two fans back into the stadium, they risk encouraging further incidents, and ones that could end up being worse for opposing players.
As part of the contract of purchasing tickets, fans agree that they can be revoked by the club at any time, and this is a clear scenario where the Yankees must make this right.
Perhaps they could even donate the tickets to two fans who otherwise would not be able to go and turn the poor situation into a positive one while gaining some goodwill among the public.
Inappropriate behavior like that can not be tolerated by any teams at any stadium, and the team needs to show a full no-tolerance policy.
If the Yankees do not change their decision, it would be their fourth loss of the series.
Dodgers join Mookie Betts in downplaying fan interference
Betts was not the only Dodgers player to downplay the incident. Freddie Freeman and Ben Casparius both brushed it off as well.
“I knew Mookie caught it,” Freeman said. “That’s all I cared about.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also chose to keep his comments to a minimum.
“I thought he had a beat on it, fan got in the way, and the umpires got it right,” the skipper said.
Make sure to follow Dodger Blue on Instagram! It’s the best way to see exclusive coverage from games and events, get your questions answered, and more!
