A pair of New York Yankees fans did their best to stop Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts on Tuesday.
Two Yankees fans sitting in the front row near the foul pole in right field were called for fan interference after they tried to rip Betts’ glove off his hand while he was playing on a foul ball in Game 4 of the World Series.
Their attempt, which came as Betts was tracking down a fly ball from Gleyber Torres in the bottom of the first inning, was unsuccessful. Betts appeared to have run the play correctly when the ball reached the first row of seats at Yankee Stadium, and both fans immediately tried to jump in and steal the ball. In fact, one fan ripped the ball out of Betts’ glove while apparently trying to pull the glove completely off Betts’ hand.
Officials quickly called in fan intervention and granted Betts an exit. Security rushed towards the fans almost immediately, and the two were seen exiting the stands.
One Yankees fan, Anna from Connecticut, who was standing nearby, told me she told the man he was a “hero” for trying to break up the play.
“It’s a championship game,” she said. pic.twitter.com/l5bKHAsRlk
– Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) October 30, 2024
The fans were ejected, according to The Athletic. The fan who tried to tear off Betts’ glove has been identified as Austin Capobianco, 38. Austin’s younger brother, Darren, told The Athletic that Bates was cursing at them.
“I just kind of see the ball — I don’t want to say ‘go up for grabs, if that makes sense,’” Darren Capobianco said.[اصعدللاستيلاءعليها،إذاكانذلكمنطقيًا”،[goupforgrabsifthatmakessense”DarrenCapobiancosaidvia athlete. “And then Moki was cursing at us. Not good.”
Austin, a Yankees season ticket holder, declined to comment on the incident to The Athletic via text message. He said he just wanted to “watch the game.”
Betts was involved in a similar incident with fans during the ALCS in 2018, when he was with the Boston Red Sox. There were several incidents of fan interference throughout the postseason as well, including in Game 1 of the World Series, when a fan reached over the outfield wall and caught Torres’ fly ball. That play was ruled double.
The Dodgers entered Tuesday’s game with a 3-0 series lead, and immediately jumped out 2-0 when Freddie Freeman hit a two-run homer in the top of the first inning. Freeman has now hit a home run in all four World Series games and in six straight World Series appearances dating back to his last appearance in 2021, both records.
The Dodgers are looking for their first World Series title since 2020. The Yankees haven’t won since 2009. No team has climbed out of an 0-3 hole in World Series history.
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