The two New York Yankees fans who grabbed at Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts during Game 4 of the World Series will not be welcome back for Game 5.
According to ESPN and the New York Post, MLB has asked the Yankees to ban the two fans, Austin Capobianco and John Peter, from Game 5. Their tickets will be refunded.
Capobianco and Peter were called for fan interference in the first inning of the Yankees’ 11-4 home win. Betts made a play on a ball in foul ground near the right foul pole, leaning up against the wall to snag the ball. While Betts’ glove was suspended in the air, Capobianco and Peter grabbed at it and actually ripped the ball free. It was immediately apparent what happened, so the fans were called for interference and escorted out.
Stadium bans typically follow incidents of fan interference, but Capobianco and Peter told Jesse Rogers of ESPN that the Yankees said they’d be able to return to their seats for Game 5 on Wednesday night. Capobianco told also told Rogers that he and the fans who sit in that area like to “joke” about patrolling the area and playing defense.
“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.”
The Yankees have yet to publicly comment on the status of Capobianco and Peter for Game 5 or their actions at Game 4.
