As the Los Angeles Dodgers were looking to complete a sweep of the New York Yankees, the World Series took a turn in Game 4 at Yankee Stadium when two fans egregiously grabbed Mookie Betts on his attempt at a leaping catch in foul territory down the left-field line.
The incident occurred in the first inning of Game 4, and resulted in Austin Capobianco and John Peter being ejected. Capobianco grabbed Betts’ glove with both hands and pulled the ball out as Peter grabbed his right hand.
Umpires immediately called fan interference and play continued without incident. Capobianco and Peter then weren’t allowed to attend Game 5 at Yankee Stadium despite initial claims that the team informed them they could return.
According to Dan Martin of the New York Post, the two unruly Yankees fans have now received an indefinite ban from MLB:
The two fans who grabbed Mookie Betts’ wrist and tried to rip the ball out of his hand during Game 4 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium have been banned “indefinitely” from attending any MLB games, The Post has learned.
MLB’s notice to Capobianco and Peter specifically their actions went well beyond what is permissible:
In a letter from an MLB official obtained by The Post, the league wrote to the banned fans in part: “Your conduct posed a serious risk to the health and safety of the player and went far over the line of acceptable fan behavior. Based on your conduct, Major League Baseball is banning you indefinitely from all MLB stadiums, offices, and other facilities.”
Betts has been asked multiple times about his perspective on the exchange, and he initially downplayed it following the Dodgers’ loss in Game 4.
But when speaking to former Boston Red Sox teammate and close friend David Ortiz on the Fox Sports set after the Dodgers won the World Series, he admitted to feeling some aggression toward the two Yankees fans.
Mookie Betts shares true feelings for Yankees fans
Betts’ most recent comments about the incident came during an appearance on “2024 Back That Year Up” with Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson. Betts shared some expletives on the Peacock stream when asked for his true feelings regarding the Yankees fans.
“I would really say, [expletive] you guys. I get them trying to get the ball. Cool. But, like, you tried to grab my [expletive]. I was in the moment, so I thought about throwing a ball at ‘em,” Betts said. “And then I realized, ‘Mook, you ain’t going to do [expletive]. You ain’t going to do [expletive]. Go back to right field.’”
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