Yankees followers who interfered with Mookie Betts catch banned from attending World Sequence Sport 5

Main League Baseball has banned the 2 New York Yankees followers who grabbed Los Angeles Dodgers proper fielder Mookie Betts’ glove, pried it open and jarred the baseball free from attending Sport 5 of the World Sequence at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night time, a league spokesperson informed The Athletic.

Austin Capobianco, 38, from Connecticut, was ejected after the incident within the first inning of the Yankees’ 11-4 win in Sport 4 on Tuesday night time. One other fan, who ESPN recognized as John Peter, was ejected alongside Capobianco.

“Effectively, A for effort.”

Fan interference was known as on this play the place a Yankee fan tried to take the ball out of Mookie Betts’ glove after an out. pic.twitter.com/iZ6taImncd

— FOX Sports activities: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 30, 2024

The Yankees addressed the state of affairs in a press release Wednesday afternoon.

“Final night time two followers had been ejected from Yankee Stadium for egregious and unacceptable bodily contact with Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts,” the assertion mentioned. “The protection and safety of gamers, followers and Stadium employees is the foundational ingredient of each occasion held at Yankee Stadium, and it can’t be compromised.

“Tonight marks the ultimate house recreation of yr, and we wish each ounce of our followers’ ardour on show. Yankee Stadium is thought for its vitality and depth, nevertheless the exuberance of supporting one’s workforce can by no means cross the road into deliberately placing gamers at bodily danger. The Yankees and Main League Baseball preserve a zero-tolerance coverage towards the kind of conduct displayed final night time. These followers is not going to be permitted to attend tonight’s recreation in any capability.”

The Main League Baseball Gamers Affiliation reached out on to MLB and inspired them to ban the 2 followers for Sport 5, per a supply briefed on the discussions.

“The MLBPA takes Participant security and safety very critically, together with and particularly on the ballpark,” MLBPA government director Tony Clark mentioned in a press release. “As with each incident on the ballpark that impacts Gamers, we now have been in common contact with League safety officers since final night time’s incident and will probably be intently monitoring each the response to that incident and the protecting measures taken going ahead, starting tonight.”

Darren Capobianco mentioned his brother, Austin, is a Yankees season ticket holder. A workforce spokesman mentioned that it has not been decided what — if any — additional motion will probably be taken concerning the way forward for their tickets. Austin Capobianco didn’t reply to textual content messages from The Athletic searching for remark Wednesday morning.

After the play, Capobianco tried arguing with stadium safety that Betts’ glove had reached into foul territory.

Within the backside of the primary inning, with the Yankees dropping 2-0, leadoff hitter Gleyber Torres lifted a excessive pop into proper area foul territory. When Betts snagged the ball along with his glove above the padded wall, Capobianco gripped Betts’ glove with each palms, opened it, reached inside along with his proper hand and knocked the ball again onto the sphere. The umpires dominated the play fan interference and Torres was out.

“It doesn’t matter,” Betts mentioned, when requested if he’d ever seen followers act so aggressively. “We misplaced, it’s irrelevant, I’m effective, he’s effective, the whole lot’s cool. We misplaced the sport, that’s what I’m form of targeted on, flip the web page. Every part’s effective.”