Two New York Yankees fans who attempted to wrestle the ball from Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts’ glove in Game 4 of the World Series have been banned from attending Game 5.
The Yankees claimed their first victory of the series in emphatic style on Tuesday, winning 11-4 at Yankee Stadium to make it 3-1 ahead of Game 5 on Wednesday. But the scoreline has been somewhat overshadowed by the incident, which occurred in the bottom of the second with the Dodgers leading 2-0.
Gleyber Torres hit Dodgers pitcher Ben Casparius to deep right field, only for Betts to pluck the ball from the air and prevent a home run. But in bizarre scenes, Betts was immediately tangled up in a wrestling match with a pair of fans sat in the front row, who tried and succeeded to snatch the ball from his grasp. Fan interference was called and Torres was ruled out.
That was not the end of the matter, though, with both men identified as Austin Capobianco and John Peter being ejected from the stadium. The friends also had tickets for Game 5 in the Bronx on Wednesday, but they have been banned from attending by the Yankees and Major League Baseball, although they will receive a refund for their tickets.
“Last night two fans were ejected from Yankee Stadium for egregious and unacceptable physical contact with Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts. The safety and security of players, fans and Stadium staff is the foundational element of every event held at Yankee Stadium, and it cannot be compromised,” the Yankees said in a statement.
“Tonight marks the final home game of year, and we want every ounce of our fans’ passion on display. Yankee Stadium is known for its energy and intensity, however the exuberance of supporting one’s team can never cross the line into intentionally putting players at physical risk.
“The Yankees and Major League Baseball maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward the type of behavior displayed last night. These fans will not be permitted to attend tonight’s game in any capacity.”
Copobianco was the main culprit, holding Betts’ glove over the wall and ripping the ball out, while Peter grabbed hold of the eight-time All-Star’s other hand.
Capobianco, 38, was interviewed by ESPN in a nearby bar after the game. He said: “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.”
Betts was eager to quickly move on when asked about the episode, swiftly turning his attention to Game 5. He said: “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.”
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